


Love is Like Protactinium- It's Useless

by Niki_the_Awesome



Category: Dr. STONE (Anime), Dr. STONE (Manga)
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Asexuality Spectrum, F/M, He just has to deal with all these super annoying people, He's already married to science, Humor, Leave the poor man alone, Senkuu doesn't pair with anyone, When the mind and body are at odds, not really romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2020-09-19 04:28:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 120,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20325100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Niki_the_Awesome/pseuds/Niki_the_Awesome
Summary: Senkuu loves science. It's straight forward. It's logical. But people, people are confusing. They make illogical decisions all the time- especially if done while 'following their heart'. After all his interactions with people where one person 'like liked' another or had a 'crush' or were 'head over heels' or...whatever, Senkuu has come to a solid hypothesis.Love is stupid and irrational. And he will never find himself making such an error.A comedy about Senkuu's different experiences with romantic love throughout his life. Really, he just wants to be left alone to do science. This poor man, just let him science in peace.





	1. Age 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! How's it going? I just recently got into Dr. Stone, and I was STUNNED by how little fanfiction there was. So I decided to contribute. This is just a little story I thought up while reading the manga. It's about Senkuu dealing with all the annoying parts of love we've all had to deal with (puppy crushes, having a crush on someone and not realizing it, rejecting someone, the awkward preteen years, etc.) 
> 
> ALSO! Senkuu has a different last name in the first chapter. This is because it if before he is adopted by Byakuya (who later gives Senkuu his name). So if you're like, 'who is Akazawa?', that is Senkuu's last name.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think :)

Age 4

It was a bright, sunny morning in winter when Senkuu went for a drive with his mother. She told him that he was going to start going to a place called ‘day care’, and that every morning he would go, and every evening she would pick him up. Senkuu didn’t know if he liked the idea of being away from his mom so much. Up until now, he had gone to a baby sitter three times a week, but other than that he was always with his mom (and dad, when he was home from work).

He kicked his legs as he looked out the window to the snow.

“Will we play in the snow?” He asked as he watched the world go by.

“Yes. You’ll get to play inside and outside.”

“And will we get to read?”

“Yes, of course, Senkuu.” His mother chuckled. The boy smiled. His mother and father were very proud of his reading (he knew because they said it all the time).

“Maybe I can help other kids read.” He said. He looked into the rear view mirror, where his mother smiled at him.

“That would be very nice, Senkuu. Just remember that reading is hard for most kids. You don’t want to make them feel silly.”

“I know…” He mumbled.

“Alright, we’re here.” His mother said. He quickly looked up and out the different windows. They were outside what looked like any old building, but the sign out front was very colourful and had flowers on it.

“T-A-K-A-S D-A-Y-C-A-R-E.” He spelled out loud. “Ta…taka’s da….uh…”

“Where did I say we were going today?”

“…Daycare!” Senkuu squeaked happily, “Taka’s daycare!” His mother got out of the car and opened his door.

“That’s right. You have a very good memory, Senkuu.” She said as she began to unbuckle his child seat.

“Thank you…” He smiled before he hoped out and took his mother’s hand.

“Alright. Let’s go in. And remember-,”

“Be nice.” He said with a nod.

“And?”

“Say thank you.”

“And…?”

“…Don’t take things apart.”

“Yes, that’s right.” She said as she squeezed his hand. Senkuu looked up at his mother.

“But what if I can put it back together?”

“Senkuu, adults don’t like it when you play with things that aren’t toys. They won’t like it if you take something apart and can’t fix it.”

“But maybe I can fix it…” He mumbled as they came up to the door. His mother opened the door and the two walked up to the front desk.

“Hello.” The receptionist said. His mother and the other woman talked a bit while Senkuu looked around the room. The walls were a happy yellow colour with different pictures of children in different places.

“And you must be Senkuu.” The woman said. Senkuu suddenly looked to her.

“Hello.” He said politely.

“Hello. Your mother says you really like to read. Is that true?”

“Yes.” Senkuu said happily.

“And you like to build things?”

“Yes!” He said with more excitement.

“Well, good! You’ll love it here, I can tell.” The woman walked out from behind the desk. “I’ll take you to the playroom now, and you can meet the other children.” The woman offered her hand, though Senkuu was hesitant to take it. “Now, say goodbye to your mom. You’ll see her later today.” Senkuu quickly look back at his mother, who gave him a smile.

“I have to go to work now, Senkuu.” She said. Senkuu turned to his mother and frowned. He didn’t want to see her go. What if something bad happened? What if she got hurt while she was away? What if _he_ got hurt while she was away? But then again, it couldn’t be helped. She said she would come back, and he trusted her.

“Ok.” Was all he said. She crouched down and gave him a hug.

“Everything’s going to be fine. You’re going to make lots of friends and have lots of fun, ok?” She asked. Senkuu gave a hesitant nod. “Alright. You be a good boy and wait for me to come back.” She gave him a kiss and stood up. “Remember our rules, ok?”

“Mmm-hmm.” Senkuu nodded as he rubbed his eyes. His mother gave him one last pat on the head before she walked for the door. For a moment he wanted to run after her. For a moment he wanted to ask her to take him to work with her. But he knew that was silly. 

So instead, he just watched as his mother left. After a moment, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Alright, let’s go, Senkuu. I’m sure the other kids would love to meet you.” The woman from before said. She offered her hand again, and after a brief moment Senkuu took it.

The playroom was pretty big and had lots of things to do. On the right, Senkuu immediately saw a small bookcase with lots of different books and different comfy pillows to sit on. Behind that were some tables where different kids were doing crafts. To the right, there was a sleeping area with blankets, and directly in front of him was an open area where different children played with toys. He saw some boys playing with little action figures, and he saw some other children bouncing balls to each other. But what immediately caught his eye was the little girl at the far wall, and what she was making. She was building something with lego. Senkuu smiled. He really, really liked lego.

“I want to go there.” He said as he pointed to the little girl. He paused for a moment before looking up at the woman. “Please.” He added. The woman smiled and nodded.

“Alright. You can go play with Akari-chan. We’re going to have snacks in an hour.”

“Ok.” Senkuu nodded quickly as he let go of the woman’s hand. The little girl looked up as he approached.

“Hi.” She said.

“Hi.” He responded before he sat beside her. “What are you making?”

“A house.” She said simply as she stacked the large lego pieces on top of each other.

“Can I help?” He asked. She looked at him and smiled.

“Ok!” She said happily as she pointed to some large blocks to the side. “You can use those blocks. I’m making a wall, so you can make a wall too.” Senkuu nodded and picked up some blocks before sitting beside her. The two then began to happily make their walls together.

“What’s your name?” She asked.

“Akazawa Senkuu.” He said.

“I’m Akari Aiko.” She said. “I have a cat named Socks, my favourite colour is red, and I have a big sister.” She looked over at him, “What about you?”

“Uh, I don’t have a cat…but I want a pet caterpillar this spring. And I like blue…and I don’t have a sister, or a brother.”

“I like caterpillars. They’re funny.” Aiko said with a smile. Senkuu smiled back.

“I like them too. I like to look for bugs with dad.”

“We should hunt bugs later!” Aiko said happily. Senkuu frowned.

“But its winter, all the bugs are dead.”

“They are?” She asked and Senkuu nodded, “But then…how do they come back in the spring? Who makes the baby bugs?” She said with confusion. Senkuu looked up at her in surprise. He hadn’t thought about that. But father had said that the bugs always died in winter…

He furrowed his brows in thought. How could they die, but come back in spring? Maybe there was a book about it.

“What are you building, Akari?” A boy suddenly asked. The two looked up to see a tall boy with a big frown. “Another house?”

“Yes.” She said as she sat taller.

“Your houses are stupid. They always fall down! Look!” He said as he kicked her wall. Sure enough, it fell over. “Your house wouldn’t fall if you weren’t stupid.”

“I’m not stupid!” Akari whined.

“You shouldn’t play with her. She’s stupid. She only plays with lego.” The boy said to Senkuu. Senkuu looked at the boy, then looked at Akari, then looked at the lego.

“I like lego…” Senkuu said as he picked up a brick.

“Then you’re stupid too.” The boy said as he hit the block out of Senkuu’s hand. Senkuu frowned and glared at the boy, who only laughed and walked away. Senkuu looked down at Akari’s wall and tried to understand why it fell. It fell so easily. But why. He heard her sniffle and looked up at her as a tear ran down her face.

“I’m…not stupid.” She hiccupped as she looked at him. Senkuu shook his head.

“I don’t think your stupid, Akari-chan. We just have to fix your wall.” He said as he picked it up.

“But how.” She asked. Senkuu tried to pick up her wall, but all he could do was pick it up in vertical pieces. She had been building up her wall by adding one piece directly on top of the other, creating long lines before sticking them beside one another. Senkuu put each line of the wall back on the lego stand, and gently pushed with his finger. Sure enough, they easily fell. He then put her wall back up and put his behind hers. Maybe, with two walls of vertical lines, it would be strong.

But they fell just as easily.

Senkuu scratched his chin as he held up a block to look at. How could he make it stronger? Two walls didn’t work…

“Maybe…we have to build the wall differently.” He said. Akari picked up a few blocks and shrugged.

“But how? That’s how you build a wall.” She said. He observed the block a moment longer before he began to look around. Maybe there would be a clue?

He looked at the walls, but they were all flat and coloured, so they were no help. He looked around the room, but there didn’t seem to be anything that could help.

“What…if we looked at a house.” He began as the wheels of his mind began to turn, “If we’re making a lego house…we should look at a real house.” Akari thought for a moment before she smiled.

“The window! Maybe we can see a house!”

“Good idea!” Senkuu squeaked as the two got up and rushed to the window. It was too high, but once they dragged over two plastic chairs they could look out. Akari frowned.

“I don’t see any houses…” She said sadly. Senkuu also frowned. There weren’t any houses. There were only buildings. There was some building close by that was slightly covered by some trees. But he could make out the wall and some windows…

_A wall…_

Senkuu focused on the wall in the near distance. It was made of brick. Kind of like lego bricks. But the wall didn’t look like their wall. The bricks were on top of each other, but they crossed one another. Where two would meet, the next layer would be laid on top. So instead of a bunch of vertical lines, they were built on one another.

_Hmmm…_

“I have an idea.” He said suddenly as he got off the chair. Akari followed him as he went back to their lego project and began taking apart the legos. Akari watched with interest as he placed a bunch of blocks down in a single horizontal line. Then, for the second layer, he began placing blocks where the first layer’s bricks met. He continued building more and more layers until he had a decent sized wall. “Now flick it.” He said. Akari shook her head.

“I don’t want to break it.”

“It’s ok,” He said, “It won’t fall. One billion percent.” He gave her a confident smile before she took a breath and flicked the wall.

And it stood!

“Look! Akazawa-kun! It’s still up!” She squealed.

“Yeah!” He said happily as he looked at the other bricks. “Now, we can make more walls, and attach them, and we’ll have a house!”

“Yay!” Akari bounced as she leaned over to grab more bricks. They continued to build until it was snack time.

After the snacks, Senkuu and his new friend went back to their little house. Senkuu grabbed more blocks, eager to make a roof, but Akari grabbed his hand.

“We need to make a bed, and a kitchen! Then we can play house.” She said happily.

“House?”

“Yeah, house! I’ll show you. First, we need a bed- and a baby bed….” Senkuu followed along as they made different furniture for their new home. Akari then ran off to find some toys before she returned with some small Hamtaro toys. “Do you know Hamtaro? He’s a hamster.”

“I know.” Senkuu said as he picked up a white hamster toy with a blue bow.

“Hamtaro can be the daddy, and Bijou can be the mommy.” Akari said as she took the toy from Senku and put it in the house. Senkuu watched as she began making Hamtaro and Bijou ‘speak’ to each other. He was never very fond of playing ‘pretend’. He liked to do real things. He continued to watch in confusion before she handed him the Hamtaro toy.

“You be Hamtaro.” She said. Senkuu held the toy in his hand before he smiled and moved it around.

“Ok! Hamster adventure. They can go look for bugs-,”

“Nooo.” Akari said as she took Hamtaro and put him back in the house, “We’re playing house.”

“…I don’t know that game.” Senkuu said, but deep down, he was beginning to guess that it was a game he wasn’t going to enjoy.

“It’s easy. Hamtaro is the daddy, and Bijou is the mommy.” Akari said happily. “You play as the daddy.”

“…I still don’t understand.” He said. His friend took his hand and put it over Hamtaro.

“You just make Hamtaro do what daddies do.” She said, as if it was obvious. Senkuu thought for a moment before he moved Hamtaro around.

“Ok. I’m going to work. Bye!” Senkuu made Hamtaro say. He then moved the toy out of the house, but Akari snatched him up and put him back in.

“No! He doesn’t go to work! We’re playing house. They’re in the house.” She said. Senkuu frowned as he tried to wrap his brain around this confusing game. “Like, the mommy makes dinner. I’m cooking curry!” Akari moved Bijou around the kitchen (which Senkuu thought wasn’t really what one did when making curry) until finally she had Bijou sit beside Hamtaro, “Here’s your food. Eat up!” She then looked expectantly at Senkuu. Senkuu hesitated for a moment before making chewing noises.

“Uh…mmm…good.”

“Yeah! Yeah, good!” His friend cheered. She then picked up Bijou and moved her around, “Now, we need a baby. So Hamtaro has to kiss Bijou-,”

“Gross.”

“It’s not gross!”

“Gross.” Senkuu repeated as he stuck out his tongue.

“It’s not gross. It’s what a mommy and daddy do to have a baby.”

“No, its not.”

“Then how are babies made?” Akari asked as she put her hands on her hips. Senkuu opened his mouth. Then closed it.

He had no idea.

“…I don’t know.”

“Well, my big sister says that when a married boy and girl kiss, they have a baby. Those are FACTS. That’s _science_.” She said as she waved her finger at Senkuu. Senkuu’s eyes widened.

Was that true? If Akari-chan’s sister said it, it must be true. She was older. But sometimes older people were wrong.

But then again, when people got married they kissed, and then they had a baby. So maybe kissing did make babies. He chewed on his lip as he thought.

He’d have to ask his mother or father when he got home.

“So, they kiss, and they have a baby!” Akari said happily as she picked up the Jingles toy and put him down. “And now, Bijou will cook again. And Hamtaro can eat again!”

Senkuu huffed.

“Akari-chan, this game is _reaaaalllyy_ boring.”

“But I like it.” She said simply. Senkuu sighed.

“Can we please build more of the house? I like building.” He said. Akari lifted her thumb to her teeth and chewed on her nail. She thought for a moment before speaking.

“Can we play house a little longer? Then we’ll build. I promise.” Senkuu frowned down at their boring game before looking up at his friend. He didn’t like house. But he wanted to build with Akari-chan, and if he said no, maybe she wouldn’t let him build with her anymore.

“…fine.” He grumbled as Akari clapped her hands.

“Yay! Ok! Now we feed the baby.” She giggled. Senkuu groaned with displeasure but went along. Thankfully, only a few (excruciatingly long) minutes later they went back to building.

The next week went along with the same routine. He and his friend would build a house (each time larger and better than the last) while taking breaks to play house. Senkuu found he really, _really_ didn’t like playing house, but the building was fun, so he figured it was fine. And Akari didn’t play house for long, so it was ok.

Senkuu got a bad feeling a week later when he didn’t find Akari by the lego blocks.

“Akazawa-kun! Over here!” He heard her say from somewhere to the right. He looked around at the foam blocks, the boys playing with cars, and the little children’s house. That wasn’t there before. It was new.

_Please don’t be in the house_

Sure enough, Akari peeked her head through the window of the house.

_Uh-oh_

“Akazawa-kun! We can play house in here!” She called out. Senkuu frowned as he walked up to the house and crossed his arms.

“But I don’t want to play house.”

“Yes, you do.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Yes, you do! See, now _you’re_ the daddy and _I’m_ the mommy.” She said happily.

“I don’t-,”

“Come in! Come in!” She said with excitement as she grabbed his hand and dragged him inside. The little house was made of wood and had a little kitchen area as well as two bean bags beneath a little window. Two girls played with dolls on the bean bags as Akari pointed at the mock wooden stove and fridge. “See? I can cook, and you can eat!”

“But you don’t make real food. You just pretend. I don’t like pretend cooking.”

“It’s ok. It’s fun.” Akari said as she bounced around the kitchen. “What is your favourite food?” She asked as she picked up a wooden pot and spoon. Senkuu hesitated for a moment.

“Ramen.”

“Ok! I’ll make ramen.” Akari then began moving the spoon in the pot. She hummed happily to herself while Senkuu looked around. When he looked out the door, he saw some of the boys were playing with toy cars. They looked like regular toy cars until one boy dragged it backwards and let it go. The car then shot off and ran across the floor on its own. Senkuu was immediately intrigued and took a step towards the boys. “Ok! All done!”

“I want to play with the cars.” Senkuu said as he stared longingly at the interesting toys.

“But we’re playing house. Here. I made ramen.” Senkuu turned around (on the off chance that she did, in fact, have ramen) but was disappointed when Akari offered him an empty bowl.

“…There’s nothing in it.”

“It’s pretend. You pretend eat it.”

“I don’t like pretend eating.”

“Just eat it!” Akari huffed.

“Let’s go play with the cars.” Senkuu repeated as he looked once more to the toys.

“No, we’re playing house.” Akari said as she grabbed his wrist and shook it a little. Senkuu turned back to her, “I did a mommy thing, now you do a daddy thing.”

“Like what?”

“Like…um…what does your daddy do at home?”

“He watches tv, and he cooks, and he…” Senkuu looked around the house for inspiration. Father was good at lots of things. They read books together and watched fun shows together. Senkuu looked back at the kitchen and looked over at the stove. One of the dials had come off. It was broken. His face lit up, “And he fixes things!”

“Ok, then you fix things.” She said as she moved to get something. Senkuu looked around while trying to find the dial. It wasn’t on the floor. He opened the oven. It wasn’t there. He opened the fridge. It wasn’t there. There was a little box of mock pots and pans on the floor, so Senkuu looked through it. After a moment he found the dial. He stared at it happily before he got up and shoved it back on the stove.

“Now I can cook.” Akari said happily.

“Yeah.” Senkuu said proudly.

“Ok, now I’ll make soup.” Akari put the little pot back on the stove and moved the wooden spoon around inside. Senkuu stared at the stove and crossed his arms.

“Yeah…but the stove doesn’t get hot…or light up.” He said as he chewed on his lip.

“That’s ok.”

“No…I can fix it…” He said as he looked around. What was hot? What was bright? Fire was hot and bright, but he didn’t know how to make fire. He walked out of the house and looked around the room. Something hot…something bright…

He looked around and around until he saw something glowing near the curtains.

“Oh!” He said as he got an idea and raced across the room. Akari watched as he unplugged something, strung it together, and came back.

“What is it?”

“Little lights!” He said happily.

“No, they’re not.” She said. He looked down at the lights and noticed that they weren’t on.

“Oh.” He looked at the end of the lights and realized it wasn’t plugged in. “I need a plug in thing…” But he found none. After a moments thought, he went out of the house and found a socket nearby. It had a piece of plastic covering it. For a moment, Senkuu didn’t know what to do, but then he remembered seeing a small fork in the play house. He quickly ran and got it before he shoved it against the plastic and popped it out of the socket. He then plugged the little lights in, pulled the wires into the house, and put the lights in the oven. Sure enough, the oven glowed from the inside.

“Oh! It lights up!”

“Yeah!”

“Good job, Akazawa-kun!” Akari cheered as she gave him a hug. He smiled.

“Your welcome.”

“No hugging.” Someone said. They both looked to where the two girls sat playing dolls on the other side of the house.

“What?”

“Boys and girls shouldn’t hug.” One of the girls said.

“It’s ok. We’re playing house. He’s is the daddy, and I’m the mommy.”

“Nu-uh. You have to be married first.” The girl said with confidence. Akari frowned.

“No, you don’t.”

“Yes, you do!” The other girl said. Senkuu frowned.

“I don’t want to get married.”

“Then you can’t play house.” The first girl said.

“Ok.” Senkuu said before walking away. Akari quickly grabbed his arm.

“No! But I want to play!”

“But we can’t-,”

“Please! Please, lets get married.”

“No! Gross! I don’t want to get married!” Senkuu said as he stuck out his tongue.

“Please! Please please! If you’re my friend, you’ll marry me!” She said. Senkuu looked around, trying to find a way to reason with her.

“But…it’s almost lunch time!”

“That’s ok! We can get married before lunch-,”

“So, you’ll get married?” One of the girls asked with excitement.

“No!” Senkuu said, but the girls didn’t seem to hear him.

“They’re getting married!”

“I can braid your hair!”

“Ok!” Akari said happily. Senkuu shook his head.

“No! I don’t want to get married! I’m only 4!” He argued, but one of the girls pushed past him and out of the house.

“Akazawa-kun and Akari-chan are getting married!” She suddenly screamed. The rest of the children gasped and charged towards the house.

“You’re getting married?!”

“GROSS!”

“Akazawa-kun, are you crazy?!”

“I don’t want to!” Senkuu cried out in vain, but none of them listened.

“Ok, you go play with the boys and we’ll dress Akari-chan up.” A girl shouted as she shoved Senkuu towards the other boys. The boys snickered and laughed as the rest of the girls crowded around Akari.

“What do we even do for a wedding?” One boy asked.

“This is super gross.”

“You’re gross.” Another boy said.

“Shut up.” Senkuu mumbled as the boys moved back towards the toy cars they were playing with.

What felt like an eternity later (but in actuality was only 5 minutes), the girls came in a large group towards the boys.

“Ok. Akari-chan is ready to get married.”

“I _told_ you! I don’t want to get married.” Senkuu argued.

“Yeah, he doesn’t want to!” One boy said.

“Yeah!” Cried another.

“If he’s her friend, then he’ll marry her!” One of the girls said.

“Well, maybe I’m NOT her friend!” Senkuu shouted. The girls gasped and looked at one another before staring at Senkuu. There was a brief pause before a cry pierced through the air. Senkuu’s heart dropped as he saw Akari-chan rub her eyes. Large, wet tears rolled down her face as she continued to cry.

“Uh-oh. You made her cry.” One of the boys said as Senkuu rushed up to her (or, at least, the wall of girls in front of her).

“Akari-chan-,”

“You made her cry!”

“You’re the worst fiancé ever!” One of the girls said as Senkuu tried to see past them.

“Akari-chan, I’m sorry. Please don’t cry.” But she, in fact, continued to cry. He bounced around as he tried to see past the girls and think of something to do. “We can, uh, go build something if you want?” She continued to cry. “Or we could look for bugs, even if they’re all dead right now.” She continued to cry. “Or…uh…we can play house with Hamtaro?” Her cries got louder. Senkuu frowned as every girl in the day care glared at him. “Um….” He said before giving a loud sigh, “Ok…ok. We’ll get married.” Akari’s cries began to die down.

“B-but you said you didn’t _want_ to.”

“Yeah…I know…I uh… I don’t want to-,” She cried again, “But I will! But we’ll get married anyway!”

“Y…you mean it?” She hiccupped as she wiped her tears.

“Yes! Yes. We’ll get married. Please stop crying.” He urged. And just like that, her tears stopped and she broke into a wide grin.

“Haha, yaaayy!” She said happily. The other girls also smiled and cheered and Senkuu let out a sigh of relief.

Getting married was hard.

It was technically time for lunch, but the day care staff had put it off by a few minutes so Senkuu and Akari could have their ‘ceremony’. Akari stood in some high heels (which were far too big) and a large white t-shirt. She had her hair in a messy braid and some paper flowers in her hands (that some of the girls made in arts and crafts). Senkuu was in his usual clothes, but he had on a pirate hat (since that was the fanciest thing anyone could find). The different boys and girls sat behind them as one boy stood in front of them (since he had been to a wedding, everyone decided he would know what to say). Meanwhile, the staff stood to the side, giggling and taking pictures as they allowed the mock ceremony to play out.

“Ok, we are here today because two people are getting married. Akazawa-kun, do you take Akari-chan to be your waffly wedded wife?”

“Waffly?” Senkuu asked.

“Yeah, it’s like…do you like waffles and stuff.”

“Yes.”

“Ok, then you say, ‘I do’.”

“I do.”

“And Akari-chan, do you take Akazawa-kun as your waffly wedded husband?”

“I don’t like waffles.” She said.

“What about pancakes?” The other boy asked.

“Yeah.”

“Ok, then…pancakelly wedded husband?”

“I do.”

“Good. Now, Akazawa-kun, you give Akari-chan the ring. And you have to call her Aiko-chan now.”

“Uh…ok…Here, Akio-chan.” Senkuu said (a little reluctantly) as he gave her a ring made from red pipe cleaner.

“Ok,” The other boy continued, “Now you say, ‘I promise to be nice and good and…uh…not put bugs in your hair.”

“I promise to be nice and good and not put bugs in your hair.” Senkuu sighed.

“Ok, and Akari-chan, you call him Senkuu-kun, and you say, ‘I promise to be nice and good and not make you do the dishes.”

“Senkuu-kun, I promise to be nice and…uh…nice and not make you do the dishes.” She repeated as she gave Senkuu a similar ring made of blue pipe cleaner. Off to the side, the staff tried to not to break out laughing.

“Ok, by the power of grey skull, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You can now kiss.”

“What?!” Senkuu yelped, but before he could react it was too late. Aiko-chan suddenly leaned in and gave him a little kiss on the cheek. The boys and girls let out a bundle of screams and laughter as Aiko pulled away, giggling and blushing. Senkuu held his cheek, stared at his new wife, and let out a horrible scream.

The children continued to shriek with laughter as Senkuu screamed on and on.

Aiko-chan said kissing caused babies.

So, she was PREGNANT.

He got her _pregnant_ and they were only 4!

Senkuu’s scream turned into tears as he began to cry.

He didn’t know anything about babies. He didn’t know how to feed one, or clean one, or care for one.

He was going to kill his baby.

His baby who he never met was going to die.

As one of the day care workers crouched down and tried to talk to him, Senkuu shook his head.

And he swore to himself and god that he would never get married again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did anyone else think that kissing caused pregnancy when they were little? Or was I just extremely dumb?  
Also the whole, 'waffly wedded wife' thing is something I said when I was a little kid (my friend and I would often make our toys marry each other).  
I hope you found the chapter funny. I cracked up a few times while writing it. If you have time, please leave a comment and let me know what you think! I love feedback and appreciate constructive critisism. Also, let me know if there are any grammar or spelling mistakes.  
Thanks guys! See you later :D


	2. Age 8-9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY SMOKES this is a long chapter. It wasn't meant to be this long, but it just kept getting bigger and bigger D:
> 
> Anyway, thanks for the comments and support guys. I really enjoy talking to you and getting your opinions on Dr. Stone as a series, as well as Senkuu's character and such. 
> 
> As a warning, I feel I should tell you guys there is a character who is neglected at home in this chapter. Their parent really doesn't pay attention or care for them as one should. So, just a heads up. The story doesn't go deeply into it, but it's implied (so I figured I should give a warning just in case).  
Yeah, the story gets a little dark (just a tiny bit). 
> 
> Also, Senkuu does an experiment in this chapter that stems from psychology. Is this too out of character? I know psychology is more Gen's thing (thus making Senkuu and Gen a good team- the hard sciences and the soft sciences working together). But the story just...felt better with the experiment. Let me know what you think.
> 
> Anyway, better get a cup of tea because this thing is long.

Age 8

Senkuu was used to a certain amount of bullying. Due to his curiosity and love for information, he had become a fairly easy target for jests. It seemed that a person was allowed to be a little curious about nature, however being _too_ interested in learning everything was just weird. It also wasn’t popular to enjoy school.

Especially science and math. Apparently, those were the classes that only losers enjoyed. Senkuu had talked about it with Byakuya, and he had told him that it was pretty common.

“Lots of kids get bullied for being smart and having interests in science. The key is not to give the other kids too much attention. I know it’s hard-,”

“It’s not hard.” Senkuu said with a neutral expression, “It’s not like I care what they think.” His father went quiet for a moment.

“That’s a good attitude to have.” He said. Senkuu shrugged.

“I don’t care if I’m popular. I just wanted to ask if there was a way to make them leave me alone- their bullying can get distracting.”

“Yeah…I get it.” Byakuya nodded, “I was bullied a bit as a kid too.” Senkuu rose his eyebrows.

“Even you?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“Nobody likes a know it all. But what helped me make more friends was playing sports.”

“…I’m not playing sports.” Senkuu frowned.

“I’m not saying you have to-,”

“I have better things to do.”

“If you say so…”

And so, it continued. The other kids would sometimes say something mean or laugh at him, but he tried his best to shrug it off. It wasn’t important.

One day, as he was in the front entrance changing his shoes, a little note fell out of his locker. He watched with curiosity as it fluttered down and landed on the floor. He gently picked it up and read it.

_Dear Senkuu,_

It began.

_I really like you’re hair. Its really cute._ _And I like the shirts you ware. You look like a doctor._

What was this, a joke? Were the other kids playing with him. He frowned and skimmed the rest of the note. Something about cute and liking and him and whatever.

_Fascinating_

He thought sarcastically as he crumpled it up and threw it in the trash. The last thing he needed was random people shoving their junk in his locker.

Two days later, Senkuu found another note in his locker, but this time it was in a red envelope.

“Hey, what’s that?” Taiju asked as he pointed at the red envelope.

“What? Oh,” Senkuu picked it up and frowned. “It’s probably another prank letter. I got one the other day.”

“Can I see it?” Taiju asked. Senkuu shrugged and handed it over. Taiju quickly looked it over before gasping. “Senkuu! Someone has a crush on you!” He said, as if he was astounded at the mere idea. Senkuu put his outdoor shoes away and closed his locker.

“…I doubt that-,”

“No, really! Look at this! ‘I really like you. You’re really cute and smart. I like it when you talk about science with your friend. It’s really interesting. I wish I could tell you that I really like you, but I can’t. I’m sorry.’”

“…Wow…great.” Senkuu said boredly as he scratched his ear.

“Ooooh! And it’s signed from a secret admirer!” He shouted.

“Taiju, keep it down-,”

“Ishigami has a secret admirer?” A student near by asked. A few other boys suddenly gathered around like moths to a flame. Senkuu sighed as Taiju read the letter out loud once more.

“Oooo. Ishigami has a _girlfriend_.” One boy teased.

“Who do you think it is?” Another asked.

“I don’t know. She’s crazy if she likes Ishigami.”

“Can we leave now?” Senkuu asked as he crossed his arms, “Class is going to start soon.” The other boys snickered and whispered to each other as Senkuu grabbed the letter, crumpled it up, and threw it in the trash.

The next day, he found yet another red envelope in his locker.

“Oh, great.” He mumbled as he took it out and opened it.

_Dear Senkuu,_

_You were really cool in class today. I liked it when you explained how magnets work. I don’t really understend, but it was really cool. I hope we can be group partners one day. Id really like to work in a group with you. Your so awsom. I really wish we could be friends to. But I get scared when I talk to you, and-_

“Ugh.” He said as he counted the pages. 5 pages. 5 pages of utter nonsense and grammatical errors.

“Hey, did you get another secret letter?” A boy asked. Senkuu sighed and put it away.

“Yes…” He said begrudgingly.

“Wow, someone must really like you.”

“Whatever.”

“Senkuu! You got another letter?!” Taiju said (far, far too loudly).

“Yeah, yeah, I did. Let’s just go to class.”

“What did it say?!”

“Nothing. It didn’t say anything.”

“This person must really like you-,”

“Listen,” He began, “If whoever likes me so much, they should just say it. Why write a letter and then leave out your name? It’s pointless.” Some of the other boys began to speak up, but Senkuu quickly turned around and made his way to class. He didn’t need all this unwanted attention.

Later that day, when school was finished, he made sure to crumple each page into a small little ball and throw it (with great prejudice) into the garbage.

The next week, another red envelope appeared. Senkuu gave a loud, angry sigh as he pulled it out.

“Ishigami, did you get another letter?” A girl asked as she peeked behind his shoulder.

“It’s nothing.” He mumbled as he went to put it back.

“No! You should read it! It could be important!” She gasped.

“No, it’s just dumb stuff! It doesn’t even-,”

“Hey! Toshiko-chan! Ishigami got another letter!” She called out. Senkuu rolled his eyes as the other kids around him giggled and snickered.

“Ooooh. Ishigami has a _girlfriend_.”

“What did you get from your _girlfriend, _Ishigami?”

“Do you write your _girlfriend_ letters too?” Different kids teased. Senkuu let out a very angry breath as the other kids giggled and jeered.

“I think it’s cute that your girlfriend writes you letters!” The first girl sighed happily. Senkuu whirled around to look at her.

“She’s not my _girlfriend_. I don’t have a _girlfriend_. In fact,” He lifted up the letter and violently ripped it in two. The other kids gasped as he continued to tear it into smaller pieces. “Whoever is writing these stupid letters, you can stop! I don’t want them! I don’t care about what you’re saying. I have better things to do than read your _stupid, dull_ letters, ok?!” He stormed over to the trash can and threw the pieces of paper inside. He turned around to see the rest of his peers staring at him with wide eyes. A few girls whispered to each other as one stomped her foot on the ground.

“Ishigami, you’re the _worst!_” She cried out.

“Yeah!” Another girl said. Other kids snickered again as he shrugged them off.

“Good.” He said before he turned around and made his way to class.

After that, he found himself at the butt of many jokes. Different children continued to tease him about the letters, while a few of the girls glared at him and whispered angrily behind his back. It didn’t matter.

Because at the end of the day, the letters stopped coming. He had put an end to it.

Age 9

The bullying continued. Some days were worst than others. But it didn’t matter. Besides, he always had his friend Taiju. Taiju was a great friend and formable ally. Not only was he strong, but he had a better concept of socialising than Senkuu did. It was as if Taiju was a translator between him and the outside world.

But even having his friend didn’t stop the others.

Especially one girl.

Fukinawa Ayuko.

The worst of the bunch.

The very bane of his existence.

Her two little braids may have made her look innocent, but inside she was pure evil.

“What are you working on? Trying to go to space again?” She asked with her annoying voice. Senkuu kept his head down and focused on his calculations. “You know you can’t go, right? Space is too far away. And you’re just a kid. It’s dumb to even try.” She said loudly. Senkuu let out a slow breath as he tried to ignore her.

The worst part was that she sat beside him. And it wasn’t just the fact that she sat beside him that was awful. What was awful was that she CHOSE that spot. It was meant for TAIJU and she STOLE it. Now, Taiju sat directly at the other end of the classroom, which left Senkuu alone and…well…vulnerable to attacks.

“You should just give up already. The space people would never let you in. You’re too short, and you can’t even run far.” She continued. Senkuu looked up to the teacher in vain. But instead of helping, the teacher just ignored them and continued on with the math lesson.

Why didn’t the teacher step in at all? It was his job, wasn’t it?

It was all just so ridiculous. Why did he even have to go to school? He bet that, if he took his high school exams right now, he’d pass. But Byakuya said it was important to grow up with kids his age. And, though Senkuu excelled in science and math, he wasn’t so great at English and the arts. If only he could-,

“My dad said its dangerous for a kid to build a rocket. He said your dad shouldn’t let you build one. He said your dad is a bad dad.”

“Are you _still_ _talking_?” Senkuu asked as he turned to her, “How do you talk so much? Don’t you get _tired_?” Fukinawa widened her eyes and blushed before crossing her arms.

“No! I only talk because you’re being silly and-,” And off she went again, insulting him all over again. Senkuu rolled his eyes and went back to his calculations. It was pointless to try and argue with her. No matter what he said, she just kept mocking him. It was just best to ignore her.

But even that didn’t always work because-

His book was suddenly pulled away, causing his pen to streak a line across the page.

“Hey!” He said as she looked at his book.

“What are you writing?”

“Give it back!” He hissed as she leaned away from him and looked at his notes.

“This isn’t Japanese or English-,”

“It’s math, you lunk head! It’s advanced-,”

“Uh- no it’s NOT. I KNOW math, and this ISN’T math.” She turned the notebook upside down and tried to read it.

“Just give it back!”

“Teacher! Ishigami is playing in his notebook!” Fukinawa hollered as she waved the book in the air. The teacher turned around and frowned.

“Ishigami, pay attention. And both of you, settle down. If you keep interrupting, I’ll have to separate you.”

“Yes! Please separate us!” Senkuu said in vain, but Fukinawa just gave him back his book and stopped talking.

“That’s better.”

“But sir-,”

“Quiet.” The teacher said sternly. Senkuu sighed and leaned against his desk. There was no winning. And just when he DID want Fukinawa to make a fuss so they could be separated, she suddenly settled down and started writing down notes. Senkuu rolled his eyes and looked out the window. All she ever wanted was to get him in trouble.

As he gazed out at the trees and far off buildings, he decided enough was enough. He had tried reasoning with her, arguing with her, and ignoring her, but nothing seemed to work. And if the adults weren’t going to do anything, then he’d just have to take things into his own hands. He gave a small smile as the gears began to turn in his mind.

He would turn to his closest, most earnest friend.

Because science would always be there for him.

That evening, Byakuya took Senkuu to the library so he could do some research. As far as his father knew, Senkuu was doing research on behavioural training (for a project he made up).

It was simple really. The problem with Fukinawa was her behaviour. If he could change her behaviour, then she wouldn’t bother him. And, as the front runner of his little bullying group, if she changed, then surely the others would follow her lead.

It was a brilliant plan.

Normally, Senkuu didn’t bother with the soft sciences. He didn’t have much interest in psychology and sociology, however this time he was in need of their research. So, he scourged through the psychology section and found a multitude of books. First, he found many books on CBT (cognitive behavioural training), but he found that had more to do with therapy. He needed a way to change her behaviour without her knowing. Then he found a few more books about conditioning, and decided he got what he needed.

When they were back home and Senkuu was taking his books into the living room to read, his father suddenly called out to him.

“Senkuu.”

“Hm?” The boy asked, anxious to get to his research.

“…Just don’t hurt anyone.” He said. Senkuu blinked in surprise at his father before the man turned around and went into the kitchen.

So, he knew? Well, it wasn’t hard to guess what Senkuu was up to, what with the books he had (and the level of the reading). Plus, Senkuu didn’t realize that doing research on behavioural training was NOT something a teacher assigned an 9-year-old.

But, no matter. He had research to do.

He sat on the floor and put his books on the little coffee table. He then began pulling them over and opening them one at a time. He knew how to search for key words and find the information he needed. And already, in the first book he found what he was looking for. Conditional training (also known as Pavlovian conditioning). Senkuu dug into the book as he read about the famous man and his dogs. Apparently, he was very famous for an experiment he conducted (one which he stumbled upon by accident).

It seemed that he was measuring how much his dogs salivated when given their meal but realized that they began salivating when they heard his assistant coming to deliver the food. Pavlov thus began an experiment to see if he could associate a non-stimulating thing with something stimulating. Senkuu smiled as he chewed on his apple slices (kindly provided by Byakuya when he wasn’t looking).

To summarise, Pavlov trained his dogs so that, when he rang a bell, the dogs would react as if they had seen food. And if this was true, then hypothetically, Senkuu could train Fukinawa not to bully him.

Moreover, he could use the basic concepts of positive and negative reinforcement in order to make her further associate bullying him with as something negative (and being nice to him as something positive). He smiled to himself as he began to scheme. Yes…this was going to be perfect. Absolutely perfect.

Unfortunately, Senkuu had to suffer a bit more before he could implement his plan. However, it was a small sacrifice if it meant he would finally get Fukinawa off his back. Three days later, it was time to put his plan into action. Senkuu tingled with excitement as he took off his shoes in the main entrance. He had everything planned. All he had to do was get his backpack upstairs and reorganize his desk before class. So, he quickly switched his shoes and hurried on to make his preparations.

Senkuu sat quietly and waited for class to begin. For the first time in a long while, he was looking forward to class. He pretended to read a book as the other students shuffled in and made their way to their seats. The teacher entered, the students stood and bowed, and then class began. Now, all he had to do was wait for Fukinawa to start bothering him.

It took less than 5 minutes.

“Move it, I’m trying to take notes.” She said as she shoved his arm with her elbow. Senkuu fought desperately to hold back a smile as he got ready for the first phase to begin. “You always take up too much space.” She complained. Senkuu then looked up at her, held up his pen, and clicked it twice. She stared at him in confusion. Good. While she was momentarily distracted, he put his hand in his desk and rubbed a piece of carpet. He then, very quickly and subtly, reached out and shocked her. “Ow!” She jumped as he quickly pulled his hand back. He then went back to looking at the board, as if nothing happened.

Fukinawa glared at him as she rubbed her arm.

“What was that? What did you do? You’re so weird-,” Without even looking at her, he clicked his pen twice and then shocked her again. “Ow! Quit it! Why are you such a weirdo-,” He clicked his pen twice and shocked her once more. “Ow! Teacher! Ishigami keeps hurting me!” She called out. The teacher immediately looked at them, and Senkuu gave (what he hoped to be) a confused expression.

“I didn’t hit her.” He said.

“Ishigami, don’t hurt Fukinawa. And Fukinawa, leave Ishigami alone.” The teacher said. Fukinawa frowned and looked back at her books. The teacher waited a moment before continuing on with the lesson. Fukinawa looked at Senkuu and glared at him, but all he did was look at the board. Good. The process had begun.

For a whole 20 minutes, Fukinawa left him alone. And then, she finally got bored and began to pester him again.

Without warning, she kicked him under the table. Senkuu looked at her as she smiled sweetly at him. He then clicked his pen twice and shocked her.

“Ow! Why do you do that?!” She whispered angrily as she rubbed her arm. He went back to listening to the teacher. “Hey, don’t ignore me! Why do you keep-,” Once more, he clicked his pen twice and shocked her, “Ow! Stop it! I mean it!” She said. He ignored her and stared at the board. She seemed to settle down after that (thus, already his plan was beginning to bear fruit). It wasn’t until the next class that she spoke up again.

“I don’t know why you like math so much,” She said as the teacher wrote an equation on the board, “If you love it so much, why don’t you marry it-,” Two clicks and a shock. “Ow! Stop it!” He copied down from the board (as if he actually had to pay attention) and ignored her. “Why are you so mean? You know only bad people hurt girls, right? That makes you bad-,” He clicked his pen twice more and shocked her. “_STOP IT!_” She whined loudly. The teacher whirled around.

“Quiet down! I’ve had enough of you two interrupting class all the time! If you can’t get along, then I’m separating you _and_ sending you to the principle. Is that understood?”

“But-,” She began, but the teacher shook his marker at her.

“No buts! Quiet down, or I will _make_ you be quiet!” The teacher snapped. Fukinawa frowned and sank into her chair. The teacher then huffed and continued on with the lesson. After that, for the whole entire lesson, Fukinawa left him alone. It was beautiful.

For the rest of the day, Senkuu continued to train his classmate. He didn’t let a single bothersome moment slide. As soon as she bothered him, BAM! Two clicks and a shock. He did, however, leave her alone when she asked to use his eraser. He needed her to learn the difference between bothering him for amusement and simply asking for help.

After a successful day, he went back to his locker to change his shoes.

“What was up with you and Fukinawa today?” Taiju asked as he came up to Senkuu. Senkuu smiled.

“I’ve just been trying out a new experiment. If all goes well, she’ll soon leave me alone.”

“Oh. Neat.” Taiju said simply. “I hope it goes well.”

“Oh, it will Taiju. I predict that in a mere 48 hours, she will cease to annoy me.”

It took less than 2 days for Fukuawa to change. He was surprised. He thought it’d take longer. But no matter. He was finally at a point where she hardly made any mean comments towards him (or physically bothered him) and, on the off chance she gave into bad habits and said something mean, all he had to do was click his pen and she immediately stopped talking.

Wonderful.

He then implemented the next phase. Positive reinforcement. It was half an hour into class and Fukinawa hadn’t made a single jibe at him. Thus, it was time to act.

“Hey, Fukinawa.” Senkuu whispered. She looked over at him, obviously wary that he was going to shock her again. Instead, he pulled a small candy out of his desk. “Do you want one?” He asked. She stared at it before looking at him. After a moment’s hesitation, she snatched it from his hand. He looked back to the board but listened as she quietly unwrapped the candy and (presumably) ate it. Excellent. She took the bait.

With this new phase, he began to reward her for any good behaviour she showed. If she was quiet for an entire class, she got a candy. If she said ‘please’ or ‘thank you’, she got another candy. He was even pleasantly surprised in science class when she politely asked if he could explain more about the paper the class was working on.

“I don’t understand plants. So, are there girl plants and boy plants? And why did the teacher say a tree needs another tree?” She asked. When he grabbed his pen, she physically flinched and moved away slightly. He was going to use it to draw a diagram, but perhaps it was best to just explain it. So, he gave her a brief explanation, during which she politely nodded along. After that she gave a small smile.

“Thank you. I think I understand.” She said. He gave a smile of his own (one that was a little darker than hers).

“Oh, no problem. Of course…” He then pulled out a small box of poki, “Would you like one?”

“Oh! Thank you!” She said cheerfully as she took one and began to snack on it. Senkuu looked away as an evil grin spread across his face. Excellent. His experiment couldn’t possibly be going any better. Now, with positive reinforcement, she would associate good behaviour with the sweet, delicious taste of candy. His grin grew. Perhaps he could even use another noise whenever he rewarded her, so he could get her to the point where he didn’t even have to give her candy (he could only buy so much candy before Byakuya got suspicious).

That day, during lunch, Senkuu sat with Taiju as he normally did and quietly discussed his findings. Taiju (like the straight laced boy he was) questioned the morality of such an experiment. But Senkuu waved him off. It was for the greater good. He was going into further explanation when he heard his name whispered somewhere. He glanced off to the side, where he saw a few girls mummering and talking with Fukinawa. They glanced his way and he let out a little sigh. But of course. Whispering behind his back. What else was new.

What surprised him was what Fukinawa said next.

“He’s actually kind of nice.” He quickly turned back to Taiju and pretended to focus on his lunch. This was an excellent opportunity to see if his hypothesis about conditioning Fukinawa resulted in the other kids following suit. Another girl whispered something and Fukinawa whispered back. He restrained himself from looking at them. He just had to be patient. He had to wait and see.

“Uh, Ishigami?” He slowly turned to see one of the girls standing beside him.

“Hm?”

“Uh, Ayuko-chan said you gave her some poki.”

“I did.” Senkuu said simply.

“Um…I’m not allowed to have any at my house.” She said, and then waited. He waited too. If she wanted something, she had to earn it. “I want- uh-,” She looked back at Fukinawa, who nodded to her, “I mean, may I please have one?”

“Oh, sure! Of course.” Senkuu said with as friendly a smile as he could muster. “Here,” He said as he held out the box towards her, “Take _two_.”

“Oh, thank you!” She gasped as her eyes lit up. He might as well have given her gold for the way she reacted. She happily plucked two out of the box and then scurried back to her friends. He watched in triumph as she sat down and whispered to the other girls. They all looked at him, and he tried to give a friendly smile. They then giggled and shared the poki amongst themselves.

Senkuu looked back to his lunch. Perfect. Absolutely perfect. With Fukinawa as the ringleader, the other children would soon follow along. Sure, he might have to buy a bit more candy for a while, but over time he could decrease the amount until he didn’t have to give any out at all. He chuckled darkly to himself. People were so easy to control.

“Why don’t I get some poki?” Taiju asked. Senkuu looked up at him and frowned.

“Because I don’t have to win you over. You’re already on my side.”

“Oh…” His friend said as he looked back at his lunch. “I mean…I’d sure like one but…you know…” Senkuu gave a small smile and chuckled to himself.

“On the other hand, I do owe you for the sweets you gave me the other day. So here,” He said as he put the box down between them, “Have as many as you want.” Taiju’s eyes gleamed in joy.

“Gee, thanks buddy!” He then grabbed the box and was about to tip the contents into his mouth-

“NOT ALL OF THEM, YOU DUMMY!”

The next week went by without a hitch. Fukinawa hardly mocked him anymore, and his overall bullying had decreased drastically by 60%. Senkuu was feeling pretty proud of himself.

It was lunchtime, and he was trying to jot down some ideas for his latest experiment.

“I was thinking about doing something with plants. Our recent science class inspired me to look into genetic mutations.”

“Oh?” Taiju asked as he chewed on some vegetables.

“Yes. I was thinking of trying to cross pollinate two different fruits in order to make a new kind.”

“That sounds complicated.”

“Not really. We just need to buy a few trees…and we’ll also need a bee colony.”

“Where are we going to get bees?” Taiju asked.

“-brother said he heard from a friend about a place even scarier.” Senkuu overheard a classmate say.

“Really? Where?” A girl asked

“That old abandoned house near the fish market. You know, with the big forest in the back.”

“Senkuu? Where can we even buy bees?” Taiju suddenly asked.

“Hm? Oh, I’m sure if we go to a person who owns a colony, we could ask them for some bees. Though, to save money, we could always find a new swarm of bees and catch them-,”

“-he said he heard there’s a serial killer living there.” The classmate continued.

“What, really?!”

“Yeah! He said no one ever comes back from that house alive. In fact, no one comes back at all- because they’ve been eaten!”

“Whow!” A boy said. Senkuu rolled his eyes as he listened in.

“Won’t we get stung?” Taiju asked.

“Oh, uh, well-,” Senkuu began.

“But, how do they know the people have been eaten?”

“Because there’s always bones and trash lying around the house. HUMAN bones.”

“Holy smokes!”

“Ugh…” Senkuu groaned as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

“Do we have to wear special clothes?” Taiju said.

“Yes, we’ll have to make-,”

“That’s so scary!”

“Yeah, if you go there at night, you can see stuff moving around in the house! It’s because the killer walks around, waiting for his next prey.”

“Make what?” Taiju asked.

“Uh…”

“Sometimes you can hear him moving around behind the house. He knocks stuff over because he’s looking for people to eat-,”

“One sec,” Senkuu said to his friend before he whirled around to the group behind him, “A serial killer cannibal? Just living in the middle of town? That’s the DUMBEST thing I’ve ever heard.”

“No, it’s not! It’s true!” The storyteller said.

“If it’s true, then why haven’t we heard about it on the news?”

“What do you mean?” A girl asked. Senkuu rolled his eyes as he moved his chair to face them.

“If _multiple_ people have gone missing, and they all went missing in the _same_ house, then it would be all over the news. The police would storm the place and arrest whoever was there-,”

“Yeah, but, no one ever comes back, so no one _knows_ there’s a cannibal there-,”

“Well, obviously _someone_ knows because _you_ know. And someone had to tell _you_.”

“Yeah…so?”

“SO, you’re telling me that people have been murdered, and the only people to know about it are a couple of kids? Who _didn’t_ immediately go to the police? I’m more scared of THEM than anything! What kind of person hears about cannibalism and doesn’t go to the police?!” Senkuu waved his arms, “By that reasoning, THEY could be the murderers! No sane person would talk to a bunch of KIDS and not any ADULTS.”

“Shut up!” The first boy said, “They couldn’t tell anyone because…because maybe the police wouldn’t be able to do anything!”

“…I doubt one maniac can stand up to multiple firearms-,”

“Maybe because he’s a _ghost_!” The other kids ‘oooh’ed and ‘ahhhh’ed and looked to Senkuu, waiting for his rebuttal. Senkuu took a deep breath.

“…So, you’re saying a serial killer, cannibal, ghost lives in that house.”

“Yes.” The room went quiet, the other kids in class having joined the conversation. Senkuu remained silent for only a moment.

“…WHAT?! Do you have ROCKS FOR BRAINS?!” He suddenly yelled as he jumped up. Some of the kids laughed as the other boy crossed his arms.

“No! It’s true!”

“That is the most- I can’t- This is-,” Senkuu covered his eyes and groaned in frustration before looking at the other again, “Ghosts aren’t even REAL!”

“Yes, they are!”

“No, they aren’t!”

“Yes, they ARE!”

“No, they AREN’T!”

“If YOU’RE so smart, why don’t YOU GO?!” The other boy yelled.

“Maybe I WILL!” Senkuu yelled back. The other kids gasped before Taiju tugged on Senkuu’s arm.

“Senkuu, this is a bad idea-,”

“No, it’s not. In fact,” A grin broke across Senkuu’s face, “It’s a _brilliant_ idea.”

“Yeah right. As if you’d really go!” One boy called out.

“I will! I’m going to go, and I’m going to prove to all of you that there is, in fact, no serial cannibal ghost or whatever!” He said, crossing his arms. Taiju tugged on his arm once more.

“Senkuu…”

“I’m serious, Taiju.”

“Ha! You’re not actually going to go!”

“Yes, I am! I’ll prove it. Tomorrow after school. Meet me there, and I’ll show ALL of you that this is all a bunch of nonsense!”

Sure enough, the next day after school, Senkuu went to the old, abandoned, western looking house. He brought along his trusty backpack (with special supplies), and had made sure to double check everything before hand. He watched as his schoolmates gathered around (word must have spread, because there were kids who weren’t even in his class, or even his grade). The children talked amongst themselves and placed bets as Senkuu adjusted his backpack.

“Senkuu…I don’t know about this. It feels like a bad idea.” Taiju said as he stood beside his friend. Senkuu looked over at him.

“Taiju, we’ve been friends for a while, best friends, right?”

“Of course!” Taiju said quickly.

“Then trust me on this. I promise, there isn’t anything scary in that house. Ghosts aren’t real, and there isn’t a cannibal living in there. I swear.” Senkuu said. Taiju waited for only a second before he nodded.

“Ok. If you say that’s true, then I believe you, Senkuu. You’re the smartest kid I know.” He said. Senkuu grinned at him.

“I don’t know where I’d be without you, you big oaf.”

“So, you’re really going in there?” A boy from a different class asked. The others hushed down so they could listen.

“Of course. You people wanted evidence, so I’ll show it to you.” He adjusted his backpack once more and cleared his throat, “Alright people. I’m glad everyone is here. First, we’ll go over some safety rules, so no one trips and hurts themselves. Because the house is abandoned, no one’s been paying the electrical company for energy. Thus, the lights won’t work in this house. I hope you all brought flashlights-,”

“What is he talking about?”

“I don’t know.”

“Also, if you have to use the toilet, now would be the time to go-,”

“What are you talking about!” Someone yelled. Senkuu gave them a weird look.

“I’m going over safety precautions. Just because there isn’t some cannibal living in there doesn’t mean you can’t hurt yourself. People are often careless when-,”

“Does he think we’re going in there?”

“I’m not going in there!”

“What- of course you’re all going in! What’s the point of even coming here if you’re not going inside!” Senkuu yelled.

“I’m not going in!”

“You’re crazy!”

“Then,” Senkuu looked around at the large crowd and gawked at them, “Why are you even _here?_!”

“To watch you do it!”

“Yeah!” Someone shouted, “$2 says you’re not coming out.”

“I don’t want to get eaten.” Someone else cried. Senkuu crossed his arms.

“Then how will you know I’m telling the truth? I could just LIE-,”

“If you come back, we’ll know you’re right. If you don’t, then we know the cannibal, ghost, vampire got you!” The other kids nodded and spoke in agreement. Senkuu slapped his face.

“You’re reasoning…is SO FLAWED.” He stressed.

“Ishigami.” A soft voice said.

“What now?” He asked as he turned to the right. At first, all he could see were different kids discussing things amongst themselves, but after a moment he saw a familiar face looking at him. “What, Fukinawa?”

“You…you don’t…” She mumbled the rest. He sighed dramatically.

“I can’t HEAR you. If you want to say something, say it clearly.” He said in annoyance. She gave a little huff, then pushed through the crowd before she came up beside him.

“I said…you don’t have to do this.” He stared blankly at her.

“…Yes, I do.” He said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“No, you don’t-,”

“I didn’t come out here to chicken out. Besides, everyone’s wrong. I just have to show it to them.”

“B-but what if there _is_-,”

“There isn’t.”

“But…” She huffed again, “You don’t have to do this to impress anyone.” She said, before adding a bit more shyly, “To impress me-,”

“Why would I be trying to impress _anyone? _Especially _you_.” He snarked. She crossed her arms.

“Because that’s what boys do! They always do crazy things to impress girls!”

“Well, I’m not.” He snorted.

“Yes, you are! It happens all the time in movies!”

“I have nothing to prove.” He said as motioned to the crowd, “I’m merely opening the eyes of the blind. These people need to be educated, so that’s what I’m here to do.” He then waved her off, “Anyway, I’m going in. End of story.”

“Don’t!” She cried, but he just turned around and looked back at the house.

“Alright, come on, Taiju. I guess it’s just you and me.”

“Right!” Taiju said with a nod.

“Ok,” Senkuu said as he turned to the (loud, noisy) group of students, “I’m off! See you in 15 minutes or so. I’ll bring you back a souvenir!” He chuckled before walking towards the house.

“NO!” Fukinawa screamed, and suddenly Senkuu was yanked backwards. He stumbled before getting his footing.

“What-,”

“Don’t go! You’ll die!” Fukinawa cried out as she yanked again on his arm, “I don’t want you to die!”

“I’m not going to DIE, you silly girl! Now let GO!” He said as he shook her off, “And since when did you care what happens to me? You _hate_ me!”

“No, I don’t! I’ve always…” But then she went quiet and looked at the ground. Senkuu watched her wiggle on the spot before he sighed loudly.

“…Whatever. Come on, Taiju.” He said as he began for the house again, “Enough with the dramatics, jeez-,”

“Senkuu!” She cried out again.

“Listen, either you stay _here,_ or you go in with us! Stop whining about it!” He said over his shoulder. He and Taiju then approached the stairs. They walked up and Taiju raised his fist to knock. “It’s abandoned, dummy. Just open the door.” Taiju grabbed the handle and pulled, but nothing happened.

“It’s locked.”

“Figures.”

“Just go in already!” Someone hollered.

“Yeah, chicken!”

“I’m working on it!” Senkuu yelled back in annoyance. He looked around at his surroundings. A little ways from the door were a set of windows, one on each side. One was boarded up tight, but the other seemed like it could move with a little…persuasion. “Alright, Taiju. Time to use that special tool I gave you.”

“Oh, right!” His friend said. Taiju took off his backpack and rummaged around until he pulled out a crowbar. “You mean this?”

“Exactly. Now, use it on the left window. That board looks loose.”

“But…” Taiju looked around, “I’m not that tall, how are we-,”

“Easy. If my theory is correct, then there should be some garbage cans and other things around. Follow me.” Senkuu hopped off the front porch and walked for the back of the house. The other kids jeered and hollered at him, but he paid them no mind. The yard was large with overgrown grass and weeds. As they walked to the back, a certain smell began to increase in strength.

“Ew…it smells like-,”

“Garbage? Yes. I believe people use this as a dumping site for trash and other things.” Senkuu said. Sure enough, as they got to the back, they could see all sorts of odds and ends thrown about. There was broken, moldy furniture and boards and nails scattered about. There was also all sorts of food wrappers and rotting food laying around. Taiju held his nose.

“Gross.”

“Yes. The inhabitants of this building seem to be enjoying the leftovers of our society.”

“But- I thought you said no one lived here!”

“No one does. Trust me. It’ll become clear once we get inside. For now…” He scanned about until he saw an old, decrepit chair. “That. We can use that to get in. It should hold our weight, seeing as we’re both small.”

“Ok! Leave it to me, Senkuu!” Taiju hollered as he ran over, picked up the chair, and began carrying it to the front. Senkuu smiled as he followed behind him. It was times like these he was happy to have Taiju as his best friend.

They rounded back to the front, where the other kids were waiting. Some seemed surprised they came back, while others seemed bored. Senkuu paid them no mind as Taiju set up the chair under the window.

“Alright. You go first, Taiju. Take off the board, get in, then pull me up.”

“Sounds good!” Taiju said as he put down the chair and got out the crowbar again. He then got on the chair, got the crowbar under the board covering the window, and pushed against it. The other kids watched in silent amazement as the board popped off. It clamored to the ground and some of the kids gasped. “Alright!” Taiju said happily as he got down, put the crowbar back in his bag, put on his bag, then got up and climbed through the window. More kids gasped.

“How does it look in there?” Senkuu called up. Within a moment, Taiju popped his head out.

“It’s all dirty and dusty. There isn’t really anything in here.”

“No dead bodies?” Senkuu asked loudly. Taiju laughed and shook his head. “Alright, well, it’s been nice.” Senkuu said to the small crowd, “If we’re not back in 15 minutes, simply wait longer.” He then got up on the chair and reached out for Taiju’s hand, “And try not to get eaten while I’m away!” He laughed as Taiju pulled him up. He went through the window frame and stumbled inside, then quickly looked around. Sure enough, it was filthy. The floors and walls were covered in dirt and dust and-, “Ah…just as I predicted.” He said as he looked at the floor.

“What?”

“Yet another clue as to the inhabitants of this house.”

“I’m still confused-,”

“WAIT!” Someone cried out. Senkuu sighed loudly and stuck his head out the window.

“WHAT?!” He yelled at the familiar voice. Fukinawa stood at the base of the chair, her eyes full of determination.

“I’m coming too!”

“What?” He croaked.

“No! Ayuko-chan, you can’t!” A girl screamed as a few more gathered around her.

“We can’t let you do this!”

“I have to! It’s the only way!” She said as tears filled her eyes.

“You can’t give up your life for Ishigami! He’s just an idiot-,”

“Hey!” He yelled.

“-And he doesn’t deserve you!”

“You know why I have to do this.” Fukinawa sniffled as she hugged her friends. “I just can’t stand by and watch as he gets killed-,”

“Nobody’s getting killed!” He yelled again.

“I-I’ll always remember you.” One of her friends sniffled as tears ran down her cheeks.

“Y-you were such a good friend, Ayuko-chan.” Another sobbed.

“Oh, get over it! If you’re coming, then get in here already! We’re losing daylight.” Senkuu barked at the snivelling girls. They gave each other a group hug before one girl gave Fukinawa her bracelet.

“It’s…something to remember us.” She hiccupped. Fukinawa sniffled as she put it on.

“We’re leaving without you.” Senkuu huffed as he moved away from the window. He went about examining the room. After a moment, he heard a light thud, and guessed that she actually did work up the nerve to come inside. He gave one last look around before he headed for the closed door. “Alright, if everyone is _ready_,” He said, giving a small glare at Fukinawa (who still had tears in her eyes), “We can get a move on.”

“Sure!” Taiju hollered as he went up to the door and opened it. “Wow, it’s dark in here!”

“Like I said, no electricity.” Senkuu nodded to the broken, grimy light switch, “You brought your flashlight, right?”

“Sure did!” Taiju said as he quickly pulled it out. Senkuu pulled out his own before looking at Fukinawa.

“I don’t suppose _you_ brought one as well?” He asked. She shook her head and he sighed, “Then, you’ll just have to share with Taiju.” He didn’t bother to confirm with her, but instead walked out into the dark hallway. His first observation was that it _reeked_. He let out a deep breath from his nose and turned on his flashlight. His second observation was the filth in the house. The floors, the walls, the staircase to the right…filthy. Luckily, he brought gloves (just in case he needed to examine something further). There was also trash and pieces of…something thrown about.

And small shards of-

“Watch yourself.” He said as he nodded to the floor, “There’s glass scattered around.” It must have been from the broken windows and lightbulbs. He looked at the peeling wallpaper and heavy oak doors. This really was an old western home. Whoever built this must have had quite a bit of cash…But then, why did they abandon it? Based off the completion of the house, it must have been abandoned after it was built…or they stopped building after it was near completion. Did they run out of funds? Was it a case of corruption?

“Don’t worry,” He heard Taiju whisper, “Senkuu’s super smart. If he says there’s nothing scary here, then we don’t have to be afraid.” Senkuu flashed the light up the stairs. That was one option. He did have a hunch about the attic…but first they could explore the main floor. Or…

An evil grin wormed onto his face as he walked around the stairs. If this was made to be like a western house, then surely there would be…

A door appeared under the stairs. He chuckled darkly.

“Well well…” He began, “If we want to explore this house, then we should start from the ground up. It’s only natural. So…” He turned to the others, “We should begin in the basement.”

“Basement?” Taiju asked and Fukinawa physically jumped.

“W-we can’t go in the basement! That’s where the bad guys keep dead bodies!”

“Well, we’ll never know unless we check.” He said in a low voice. Fukinawa shuttered and he chuckled again, “If you’re too scared to go-,”

“N-no! I told you! I can’t let you go alone.”

“I mean, I’m here too.” Taiju said, but Fukinawa ignored him.

“I’m coming too! No matter what!”

“Ooooook. But don’t blame me if you get caught by the cannibal.” Senkuu whispered as he shone the light in his face, distorting his features. He laughed as Fukinawa gave a little yelp.

“Senkuu, knock it off.” Taiju said plainly. Senkuu continued to laugh as he waved him off.

“I’m just having fun. It’s fine.” He grabbed the handle, “Like I said, there’s no cannibal.” He opened the door and stared into the darkness, “If my theory is correct, then we’ll run into something down there, but it won’t be human-,”

“Like a ghost?!” Fukinawa gasped. Senkuu shook his head.

“Like I said, no such thing as ghosts. Come on.” He shone his light and began down the rotting stairs. He was only down two steps before he felt someone grab his shoulder. “…Uh, Taiju-,”

“It’s not me.” Senkuu looked behind him to see Fukinawa shivering, her hand on his shoulder. He gave her a look, as if asking her what she was doing, but she remained still. So, he continued to walk down, guiding Fukinawa as Taiju took up the rear. The stairs creaked and groaned loudly as they walked down.

“Whow…it’s super dark down here.”

“No doubt they boarded up the windows, so this place probably hasn’t seen sunlight in a while.”

“It’s…scary…” Fukinawa squeaked and shivered. Senkuu let out a breath through his nose. All fun aside, it wouldn’t do to have her shivering and shaking the whole time. Not to mention, if she got too scared, she might break into fight of flight and accidentally hurt herself or others. A frightened mind was an illogical mind. So, Senkuu decided it would be best if he finally tried to calm her down.

“You know, there’s no real reason to be afraid of the dark.”

“S-sure there is…” She whispered. Senkuu lightly shook his head.

“A room is the same in the dark as it is in the light. Darkness doesn’t mean that there’s automatically danger. It just means it’s harder for us to see. But nothing _truly_ changes.”

“It…smells _really_ bad…” Fukinawa whimpered behind him. Senkuu nodded.

“All will be revealed in a moment. And it’s nothing dangerous- well, I mean, ok, technically it is-,” He felt a shiver run through her body-, “But only if you touch it. So, just stick close to Taiju and I and you’ll be fine.” They came to the bottom of the stairs, and all Fukinawa could do was whimper in response. That wasn’t good. It was important for him to show her the true inhabitants of the house before she had a mental breakdown or something. He shone his light around and looked about the old, musty basement. It wasn’t finished. The electrical wires could be seen in the ceiling, and there were no inner walls.

“What…are those puddles? In the corner?” Taiju asked.

“That would be urine.” Senkuu felt Fukinawa shiver again and whimper, so he decided to stop the theatrics and get to the point. “If you both come this way,” He began as he moved to the right. Fukinawa grabbed a hold of his arm and clung to him as if he were a lifejacket in deep water. He let out a breath and tried to ignore the pain she was causing him. All he had to do was reveal the truth, then she’d calm down. “Alright, do you see this pile of junk?” He asked as he came up to a small pile of old, torn up boxes, paper, and wood chips. He looked at Taiju, who gave it a confused look, and Fukinawa, who had her eyes shut. “Fukinawa, open your eyes. It’s not scary.” She peeked one eye open and looked at it.

“…Yeah.” She said.

“50 points to whoever can guess what it is.”

“…Oh, uh, someone is collecting paper!” Taiju immediately said. Senkuu nodded.

“Yeah, yeah, someone is collecting paper- in the basement of an abandoned house?! Come on!” Senkuu scolded.

“It’s just garbage.” Fukinawa whispered. Senkuu nodded again.

“Yes, at first it looks like that, but if we get closer…” Senkuu moved closer and crouched down. Taiju and Fukinawa followed as Senkuu gently pushed one box away to reveal what looked like a ball of wood chips, pellets and fluff. They all stared at it before it moved. Fukinawa yelped and Senkuu shushed her. “We don’t want to scare it.” He then, very quietly, put down his backpack and rummaged through it before revealing two sets of long tweezers. He reached over to the ball and gently moved away from fluff before a little head pocked out.

“Oh!” Fukinawa gasped.

“A mouse?”

“Yes.” Senkuu smiled as the mouse sniffed at them. “There’s probably hundreds of them living here. They like to build little nests like this. If this is a female, then she might actually have some babies hiding inside.”

“Oh…” Fukinawa said as she leaned closer. She reached out for the mouse before it squeaked in surprise and scurried off. Senkuu quickly pulled her hand back.

“Don’t. Mice and other rodents can carry very dangerous diseases. If they bite you, you could get rabies or something.”

“Oh…” Was all she said. She then looked around in the darkness.

“Are there other nests?”

“Sure. No one comes down here, so the mice are nice and safe from most predators. It’s well boarded up, so only they- and maybe rats- can get down here when the door is closed.”

“Is that why it smells?” Taiju asked. Senkuu smiled.

“Good observation. Yes, mouse urine is particularly potent. With a colony living down here, it’s enough to burn the eyes.”

“I want to look for more mice. Maybe we can find some babies.” Fukinawa said as she got up. Senkuu shrugged.

“Sure, we have a bit of time.” He handed her the flashlight, and just like that she was exploring the dark, damp basement. Taiju and Senkuu followed after her.

“Hey,” Taiju whispered to his friend, “How did you know Fukinawa wouldn’t be afraid of mice?”

“What? Oh, she loves animals.”

“How do you know?” She suddenly asked. He looked at her and shrugged.

“Because you have pictures of animals all over your books. And I’ve seen you draw mice and other animals while in class. We sit beside each other, so it’s pretty obvious.” She looked at the floor, then turned back to another pile of rotting boxes.

“…yeah, I do like mice. I like all animals.” She said as she crouched before the boxes, “Oh! This one is squeaking!” Senkuu and Taiju hurried over and crouched beside her.

“There must be babies in this one.”

“Open it up so we can see them!” She said in excitement. Senkuu looked over at her.

“They might be very young, so you have to be quiet. We don’t want to scare them.”

“Right!” She said quietly as she covered her mouth. Senkuu moved in with his long tweezers and easily opened one of the wet boxes apart. Inside as another small ball of stick and wood and fluff. He moved some fluff and wood chips aside, and revealed a small bundle of grey and black. Fukinawa squealed softly as the boys smiled.

“They’re real cute.” Taiju said.

“Yeah. This colony seems to be doing very well-,” A soft hiss from the darkness took them all by surprise as they whipped their flashlights to look to the left. There, not too far away, was a long, green snake. It paid them no mind as it flicked the air with its tongue and slithered towards the nest. Fukinawa and Taiju gasped as Senkuu smiled. “Ah, yes, well, it would make sense that snakes would be here too. This would be a real buffet for-,”

“NO!” Fukinawa yelled as she suddenly lunged at the snake and grabbed it. It wiggled and hissed at her as she stood up and glared at it, “You can’t eat them! They’re just babies!”

“Y-yeah! She’s right!” Taiju said in agreement as he shot up too.

“It’s just getting food. What difference do baby mice and adult mice mean to a snake? It’s just how the food chain works-,”

“Senkuu! Don’t be so heartless!” Taiju gasped. Senkuu slowly got up.

“I’m not. That’s how nature works. And it’s also how nature keeps one species’ population from growing out of control. Think about it,” He said as he tapped his head, “If there were no snakes to eat the mice, then the mice would totally take over this house. Food would run out. They’d start to starve to death. Predators have to keep prey in control.”

“Well, I’m not letting this snake eat those babies!” Fukinawa said as she held the snake with determination. Taiju nodded.

“I agree!”

“Fine, then what? You’re going to kill it?”

“Of course not!” They both gasped. Senkuu sighed. It was like talking to children-

And then he remembered they were, technically, children.

“Ok, then what do we do?” He asked as he crossed his arms. Fukinawa looked around for a moment before nodding at Taiju’s bag.

“We’ll move it outside.”

“Where it can just eat other mice?” Senkuu asked. Fukinawa looked at him and gave him a determined, stubborn look. This was something he wasn’t going to successfully reason with her on. “…Fine. Put it in the bag. It’ll just get out anyway.” He said. She smiled and walked over to Taiju before opening his bag and plunking the (very unhappy) snake inside.

“Good.” She said as she nodded her head.

“Well, now that that’s settled, let’s move on.” Senkuu said as he crouched down and covered the baby mice once more.

“Where?”

“To the attic.”

It was when they had moved back up to the main floor and came out of the pure darkness that Senkuu looked over at Fukinawa’s hands.

“Did that snake bite you?” He asked in surprise. She looked at her hands and nodded.

“Sure. But it didn’t hurt.” She said as she followed him.

“Huh. I guess you really do like all animals.” He mumbled as they walked towards the staircase.

“Yeah, I want to work with animals when I’m older…” She said, trailing off. Senkuu focused on going up as Taiju spoke.

“Really? Like, a vet or something?” His friend asked. They walked up the splintered, filthy stairs together.

“Yeah but, well, not a vet. Maybe a vet nurse or something.” She said.

“Only a nurse? Why not a vet? Then you could be in charge.” Senkuu said without much thought as he shined his flashlight to the top of the stairs.

“I’m not smart enough.”

“Yes, you are. I’ve seen your test marks.” He said as they approached the top of the stairs.

“Daddy says girls can’t be doctors because they’re not smart enough, so I-,” Senkuu stopped so suddenly that they both walked into him.

“What?” He immediately asked.

“He said girls aren’t smart enough-,”

“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard-,”

“No, it’s-,”

“And that’s _after_ someone told me a cannibal ghost was living here.” She crossed her arms.

“It’s true! He works with doctors, and they’re all men.”

“So?”

“So? So, they’re all men.” She said as Senkuu sighed loudly.

“Just because the doctors he talks to are men, doesn’t mean girls can’t be doctors. Being a doctor- of people or animals- is just about studying. Science doesn’t care if you’re a boy or a girl. It only cares about how much effort you put into it. If you study hard, are patient, and can improve from failure, then anyone can be a doctor.”

“But!-,”

“Your dad’s just jealous because you want to do something exciting like be a vet, while he’s stuck being a boring old- what is he?”

“A business man.”

“Exactly! That’s the most boring job of all! So, he’s just jealous. If you like animals, you should be a vet. It’s simple.” He continued up the stairs, “Anyway, we need to look around for the entrance to the attic.”

“But…” Fukinawa said, but then her voice died. It seemed she didn’t know what to say to that. No matter. The discussion was over. There were more important things to think about.

It took a few minutes before they found the entrance to the attic. They had to look in three empty, dirty, musty rooms before they found one with a door on the ceiling. Senkuu had to get on Taiju’s shoulders to reach the rope dangling from the door, but once they pulled on it, a very old wooden staircase began to unfold downwards. Senkuu chuckled happily as he got off his friend’s shoulders.

“Now, for our next creature living here. Any guess what might live in the attic?” He asked. The two others looked at him blankly. “I’ll give you a hint, it flies.” They looked at one another.

“…a bird?” Taiju asked. Senkuu shook his head.

“Good guess, but not quite. Let’s go up and I’ll show you. And turn off your lights!” He said. Enough light was coming through an open window that they could turn off their lights and make it up the stairs carefully. Senkuu went up first and then slowly crawled in. He shivered with excitement as Fukinawa and Taiju followed along. He motioned for them to be quiet before he nodded up to the ceiling. They both looked up and gasped at the picture before them.

Above them were bats…perhaps a hundred or more. They hung quietly from rafters and other areas, seemingly undisturbed by the newcomers.

“Why are there bats here?” Fukinawa whispered as quietly as she could. Senkuu leaned towards her.

“Bats like abandoned attics. Even attics that people use. It warm and safe. I just had a hunch they’d be here when someone mentioned vampires.” He pointed up at a few to the far left, “If you look close, some even have babies with them.” Fukinawa stared up in awe as she beheld the furry creatures. “You know, you don’t have to be a vet just for cats and dogs. There are vets for all types of exotic animals, or farm animals, or even wild animals.” He smiled at her, “Maybe one day you’ll work with bats.” She looked at him with a twinkle of joy in her eyes.

“Yeah…” She looked up again, “Can you teach me about bats? And other animals?”

“Sure.” Senkuu whispered, “If you want to work with animals, the best time to study is now.”

“Hey, what are you whispering about?” Taiju whispered a little more loudly as he moved to get a better position at the top of the stairs, and then his hand moved- and his LIGHT was on-

“TAIJU! The LIGHT!” Senkuu whispered harshly, but before he could stop him, a ray of light burst forth and shone across the animals. They screeched and squeaked and all at once began to fly around. The three children yelled as the animals swarmed around in confusion and fear before Taiju fell back, and Senkuu shoved Fukinawa to go down the stairs. Taiju tumbled down as the two others scurried out of the attic. Senkuu quickly turned and tried to shove the old attic staircase up. “Taiju, you idiot! I TOLD you to turn off the light!”

“I forgot it was on!”

“That’s no excuse!”

“It’s not my fault!” Taiju whined. Senkuu scolded him before Fukinawa broke out laughing. They looked at her, then at each other, and then gave into their own laughter. It was kind of funny. The whole situation was funny. Instead of ghosts, cannibals and vampires, they found mice, snakes and bats. They continued to laugh as the sunset shone through the room. The light was beginning to fade, and in the new light Senkuu could see more of the room. The different corners, the filth on the ground, and more shards of glass.

There was a lot of glass in this house.

His laughter slowed as he saw something incredibly thin and sharp laying on the ground. Then his laughter stopped.

“Well, that was funny- but I think it’s best we leave now.”

“Really?” Fukinawa asked.

“I’m starting to like this house.” Taiju chuckled. Senkuu gave a nervous, very unconvincing chuckle of his own.

“Yeah, well, the sun is setting, and our parents will be worried. We should leave. Like…now.”

They quickly made their way down the stairs as Taiju and Fukinawa giggled at each other.

“You’re face! When you were falling-,”

“And the face _you_ made when the bats were-,” Senkuu suddenly shushed them and they fell quiet.

“Senkuu? What’s wrong?” Fukinawa asked. Senkuu took a breath and gave them a strained smile.

“Just…we should be quit. We might bother the animals.” He said before turning again and hurrying down the stairs. They had just made it to the bottom when the floorboards in another room groaned. They all looked at the sound, then each other.

“What animal was that?” Taiju asked.

“Racoons.” Senkuu said (far too quickly). “Surprise! They’re the ones eating the garbage. I was going to let you guys guess but-,” The floorboards creaked again, “Anyway, we should go. Racoons can be hostile and can leave a nasty scratch.”

“I kind of want to see the raccoons.” Fukinawa said before Senkuu began shoving her and Taiju towards the back of the house (and in the opposite direction).

“No, you don’t. They smell. And are hostile.”

“But-,”

“_Move_.” He said forcefully as he shoved them again. Fukinawa and Taiju stumbled forward and went ahead a few steps before something cracked beneath them. Fukinawa looked beneath her shoes to more glass. More specifically…

“Ew. Why are there needles here?”

“There’s a back door in the kitchen. Just _go._” Senkuu hissed as he now, rather violently, shoved the other two towards and open doorway. They quickly moved forward and into the kitchen when-,

“Oh!” Fukinawa said, “Racoons! There they are!”

Sure enough, two racoons sat on the counter eating old vegetables while being surrounded by mountains of trash.

“They sure do hoard a lot-,”

“I didn’t know racoons drank beer.” Taiju said as he pointed out the pile of cans and bottles in the corner.

“Yes! It’s a known fact! Racoons and alcohol! Two peas in a pod!” The floorboards down the hallway groaned loudly as Senkuu went up to the side door and shoved at it.

But it wouldn’t budge.

He stared in alarm and horror as he tried again.

Nothing.

“Here, Senkuu, let me-,”

“HEY!” The three turned and screamed in alarm as a tall, frightening man appeared in the doorway. His clothes were dirty and torn. His hair was matted and slick with oil and he was covered in filth. And his eyes were red and blood shot. “What are you doin’ here?” He croaked.

“Nothing. We were just leaving.” Senkuu said as he glanced at Taiju and nodded towards the door.

“This is my house.”

“…I mean, technically it’s not-,”

“MY HOUSE!” The man yelled as he fell against the doorway. Fukinawa immediately grabbed Senkuu’s arm and shivered against him-

Which, honestly, was a dumb move because he wasn’t worth spit in a fight, and Taiju was much stronger and had a better rate of survival but-

“You little hobbits…aren’t going to take what I have.”

“…What?” Taiju asked. Senkuu coughed.

“Taiju, the door.” He stressed quietly as the man looked behind him.

“Keep it down! I’m talkin’ to some hobbits!”

“What’s a hobbit?” Taiju asked as Senkuu looked to him and glared.

“Taiju. The DOOR.”

“Sneaky hobbits…tryn’a take my treasure…well, you WON’T.” The man spat.

“Wh-what’s wrong with him?” Fukinawa whispered.

“He’s on drugs. He’s hallucinating, so he doesn’t understand what’s going on. Which makes him very _dangerous, Taiju_.” Senkuu stressed again. Taiju moved towards the door, but as soon as he touched it the man yelled.

“You can’t escape! I’ve put a seal on the door!”

“WHAT?! REALLY?!” Taiju gasped.

“He’s _lying_.” Senkuu hissed loudly before he looked at Fukinawa, “You, get behind Taiju and I. As soon as Taiju gets the door down, you need to run as fast as you can-,”

“No! Senkuu! Don’t be a hero-,”

“I’m telling you so you won’t get in the way! There’s nothing heroic about-,”

“Filthy hobbits…think you can go anywhere you damn PLEASE!” The man spat again as he moved towards them.

“Taiju, _the door_! Fukinawa, you should-,”

“I’m not leaving you!”

“Stop being DRAMATIC!” Senkuu yelled as he turned to Fukinawa. In that moment, the man shot forward, and Fukinawa screamed as Senkuu twirled around. But it was too late, he was too distracted to react before the man slammed his fist into the boy’s face. Senkuu slammed into the ground. As Fukinawa screamed louder and Taiju ran towards his friend, the man grabbed Taiju by the shoulder and tossed him to the side. The man then grabbed Senkuu by the back of the collar and lifted him as Fukinawa shoved her hand in Taiju’s bag and-,

“SNAKE ATTACK!” She suddenly screamed as she flung the (still very angry) snake into the man’s face. He screeched and flailed at the creature as it bit him on the nose and held on. He fell loudly to the floor and wrestled around. Taiju quickly got back up.

“SENKUU-,”

“NOW WILL YOU GET THE DOOR?!” Senkuu screamed as he tried to get himself up. Taiju nodded before running at the door and shoving it open. It flew open with a loud crash as Fukinawa reached for Senkuu, grabbed him and practically dragged him out of the house. The three fell over themselves as they dashed away from the house and back to the front. Most of the other kids were still there, all very anxious and frightened over all the screaming they had just heard.

“What-,” Someone began, but Senkuu interrupted them.

“There’s a man on hallucinogenic drugs in the house! Everyone needs to go before-,”

“EVERYONE SCATTER!” Taiju screamed as he flung down his backpack. And just like that, the crowd broke apart and the children ran screaming in all sorts of different directions. The area was in chaos as children screamed and hollered and ran this way and that. Senkuu leaned heavily against Fukinawa.

“I guess that’s one way to do it.”

“We need to get out of here!” Taiju said as he came up to Senkuu and put the other boy’s arm around his shoulder. “Can you walk?”

“Kind of…boy, that hurt.” Senkuu mumbled as Fukinawa wrapped his other arm around her shoulder.

“You were amazing, Senkuu-kun.” She said as they began to hobble away.

“Well, things would have gone better if you both _listened_ to me. Contrary to what you believe, I actually had a _plan_-,”

“SENKUU!” A familiar voice hollered through the chaos. A deep, adult voice…

_Uh oh._

“Who’s that?” Fukinawa asked as a tall man ran up to them and stopped in the middle of the chaos and disorder.

“What the HELL is happening here?!” He asked as different children continued to scream and run amok.

“Well…ok so-,”

“What HAPPENED to you?!” The man gasped as he gently grabbed Senkuu’s face. “Who _hurt_ you?!”

“It was-,”

“Are you ok?” He asked in a concerned voice. Senkuu nodded. “Why the HELL ARE YOU HERE?!” He said, a bit more tensly. Senkuu looked in different directions.

“Byakuya…uh…I left a note-,”

“Yeah, I _found_ it. Saying, ‘I’m at an abandoned house to discredit a cannibal ghost’ does NOT count as telling me _where you are!_” He said angrily. Senkuu shrugged.

“How was I supposed to know?” He said, still not looking into the man’s eyes.

“Who’s that?” Fukinawa asked again.

“That’s Senkuu’s dad.” Taiju whispered. Byakuya suddenly looked up, as if only now realizing Taiju was there.

“Taiju! Does your grandmother know you’re here?”

“Uh…maybe.” Taiju said as he looked at the ground.

“And what about you?” He asked Fukinawa. She shrugged.

“Dad doesn’t come home until really late.” She said. Byakuya sighed.

“You’re all going home. _Now_.” He looked at Taiju, “I’m taking you back to your grandmother’s, and you,” He said looking at Fukinawa, “Are coming home with us until your father get home.”

“Aw, man…” Senkuu said as Fukinawa blushed shyly.

“Oh…ok.” Was all she said.

Senkuu and Fukinawa sat in the living room watching cartoons as Byakuya called Mr. Fukinawa in the other room. Based on the random shouting, it didn’t sound like their conversation was going very well.

“I’m sorry to bother you…” Fukinawa mumbled.

“It’s fine. I mean, I would have preferred if you just went home, but this is Byakuya’s house, so if he wants you to come over then it’s his choice.”

“Oh…”

“Are you gonna’ eat the rest of those grapes?”

“No…”

“Great.” Senkuu grabbed her bowl and began eating the grapes. After a moment, Fukinawa spoke again.

“Senkuu-kun?”

“Mm?”

“Were you scared? When that scary man showed up?”

“Mm, I mean, kinda.” He said with a mouth full of grapes.

“You didn’t seem very scared.” She said softly. He swallowed and shrugged.

“That’s because I had a secret weapon with me, just in case there were squatters in the house.”

“A secret weapon?”

“Yeah,” He said as he scratched his ear, “I brought a shock stick along.”

“What’s that?” She asked. He looked over at her.

“It’s exactly what it sounds like. It’s a stick that shocks people.”

“Oh…” Suddenly, the door to the other room opened and Byakuya stepped out. He glared at his phone for a moment before he looked up and smiled.

“How are you two doing?”

“Ok.” Senkuu said. Fukinawa didn’t respond.

“Great. Senkuu, can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Am I in trouble?” Senkuu asked, readying himself for a lecture.

“Well, yes, but I’m not asking to talk to you so I can scold you.” His father said as he put his phone in his pocket. Senkuu sighed and stood up.

“Fiinnee…” He mumbled as he slowly walked up to his father. Byakuya led Senkuu (veeeeery slowly) into the other room and shut the door behind them. Senkuu’s shoulders sagged as he got ready for the lecture of his life. “What is iiiiiiiit.” He said, his words dragging on.

“Senkuu, I need you to be serious for a minute.” Byakuya said. Senkuu looked behind him and pouted at his father. “Senkuu, I mean it.” He turned around and crossed his arms.

“Oooooookkkkkk-,”

“Senkuu, listen to me,” Byakuya got down on his knee so he could better talk to his son, “This is really important.” Senkuu looked off as his father continued, “What you did today was very, _very_ dangerous.”

“But I-,” But his father held up his hand, and Senkuu went quiet.

“I know, you probably had a back up plan. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t dangerous. And the note you left…I had to look everywhere for you.”

“It was supposed to be funny.” Senkuu mumbled, but his father continued on.

“Something terrible could have happened, Senkuu. What if you were hurt? What if-,”

“Ugh! Stop treating me like a kid!” Senkuu suddenly said, “I knew what I was doing! And as soon as I saw those empty needles, I told the others we had to leave! I was being safe!” He stomped his foot, “And there was supposed to be a group of us! Not just three people!” He whined. Byakuya let out a long breath.

“Senkuu…I know you’re mature for your age- I don’t doubt you thought out everything you could- but you’re still a child-,”

“I’m NOT-,”

“You have the BODY of a CHILD, Senkuu. Think about it! Be logical! What chance does a child have against a grown man? At least if you were _teenagers_, you would stand some sort of chance- but not _children_. You’re too small-,”

“That’s why I brought my shock stick!” Senkuu argued.

“And did you use it?” Byakuya asked. Senkuu frowned and looked at the ground.

“…No. I couldn’t get it in time.”

“Exactly.” Byakuya sighed, “You might have had a way to fight back against an adult, but Taiju and Fukinawa would have been defenceless. Do you know why?” Senkuu looked up at his father.

“…Because they’re children too.”

“Exactly.” Byakuya nodded, “Please, at least wait until your older before you try something like this. Taiju will no doubt be built like an ox when he gets older, so at least you’ll have that.” Senkuu nodded.

“And I’ll be smarter then too.”

“Exactly.” Byakuya said with a smile. They remained in silence for a moment before Byakuya spoke again, “But, all that aside, I need to talk to you about something else.”

“What?”

“It’s about Fukinawa. Listen, I need you to be a big boy-,”

“Don’t mock me-,”

“Ok, I need you to be _mature_. Ok?” Senkuu nodded. “Ok. We’re going to have Fukinawa spend the night-,”

“NO!” Senkuu suddenly yelled. Byakuya shushed him as the boy gasped, “No! That’s the worst! She can’t stay!”

“Senkuu, be quiet!”

“That’s weird!”

“Senkuu, _listen_.” His father said in a more serious tone. Senkuu settled down, “Mr. Fukinawa wants me to drive his daughter home and leave her at his house…but he doesn’t know when he’ll be back home.”

“…So?”

“We can’t let her go home alone, Senkuu. It’ll be too scary for her-,”

“But there’s nothing scary in her house! And if she locks the doors, she’s safe-,”

“Senkuu, listen. Other kids aren’t _like_ you. They can’t just reason their way into feeling safe. They get _scared_. And Fukinawa had a very scary day today. It might be a while before she feels, well, safe again-,”

“But she is safe! And she’ll be safe at home-,”

“Senkuu-,”

“It doesn’t make sense!”

“_Senkuu!_” The boy immediately went quiet, “You might not understand, but today would be very frightening for any child. This could even be traumatic for her. This could be something that scares her for a very long time,” Senkuu opened his mouth to speak, but Byakuya held up his hand, “You might not believe it, but it’s true. I’ll even get you a book on it. The point is, I can’t let Fukinawa go home alone tonight. It’s _wrong_. She should have an adult close by in case she gets scared.”

“But-,”

“Listen to me, Senkuu.” His father said as he placed his hands on the boy’s shoulders, “This is _very_ important. I wouldn’t be saying this if it wasn’t. But also know that I’m not _asking _permission. I’m giving you the decency of telling you that she’s staying over tonight, ok?” He asked. Senkuu frowned and looked at the floor. “Ok?”

“…But tonight was gonna be game night.” Senkuu pouted as he kicked the floor. Byakuya smiled.

“We can still have game night.”

“No, we can’t.”

“Senkuu.” He looked up at his father again, “We’re going to welcome Fukinawa into our home. And you _aren’t_ going to tease her if she gets scared, or if she asks for help, _ok?_”

“Ooookkkk.”

“Good boy.” Byakuya said as he stood up.

“Don’t mock me…” Senkuu mumbled as he kicked the ground again. Byakuya grinned before quickly leaning down and giving his son a peck on the head. “HEY! GROSS!”

“Alright, let’s go back and talk to Fukinawa. Then we can play some games if you want.” He chuckled. Senkuu stuck out his tongue and rubbed his head.

They did end up playing a few games after dinner. And when it was time for bed, Byakuya suggested that Fukinawa take Senkuu’s room while Senkuu slept with his father.

“That doesn’t make any sense. Just make her sleep on the couch.” Senkuu argued. Byakuya tried reasoning with him, but then Fukinawa said she didn’t mind. At first, Byakuya was against it, but since both children agreed (and were very stubborn) he finally gave in and prepared the couch for her to sleep on.

That night, Senkuu thought about the different events that occurred over the past day. School. Abandoned house. Animals. The man on hallucinogenic drugs. Fukinawa sleeping over.

It was a lot.

So, instead of pondering on the day’s events (and possibly developing some sort of feelings of fear or confusion) he decided to name each element on the periodic table of elements. He smiled. It was a game he liked to play to distract himself.

There was hydrogen, that was easy, then there was helium (again, very easy)-

He jumped when a little noise came from his door. He sat up and squinted in the dark. After a moment, his eyes adjusted, and he saw a small figure standing in the doorway.

“Senkuu-kun,” Fukinawa whispered, “Can I come in?”

“No. Go to bed.” Senkuu whispered back. But she either didn’t hear him or ignored him because she came in anyway. She scurried up to his bed side and looked around.

“Can I sleep in here?”

“No!” Senkuu whispered harshly, “There’s no room!”

“Yes, there is.”

“No, there’s not. And it’ll be weird! Go back to the couch!”

“But I don’t like the couch! It’s scary!” She whispered as she wiggled on the spot. Senkuu sighed and rubbed his face.

“It’s just a room!”

“But it’s big and scary!” She whined. “Let me sleep here with you!”

“No!”

“Come on! Move over!” She whined again.

“You’re not sleeping in my bed! And you’re _not_ sleeping in my room! Now, go away!” He whispered loudly. She pouted, and then gave him that same stubborn, determined look as before.

2 minutes later, she was snuggled into Senkuu’s bed. He was downstairs muttering angrily to himself as he pulled her comforter and pillow off the couch and dragged them upstairs. He made sure to glare at her as he set up his own little bed (beside his _actual_ bed) and laid down. He tried to get comfy (on the cold, hard floor) before he shut his eyes. It took only 5 seconds before she spoke again.

“Are you asleep?”

“Yes!”

“If you’re talking, then you’re not.” Senkuu remained quiet, “…Can you tell me a story?”

“Oh, for the love of- go to sleep! We have school in the morning!”

“This is kind of like a sleep over.” She squeaked happily, seemingly uninterested in his misery.

“This is the _worst_ sleepover _ever_.” 

“I’ve never had a sleep over before.” She said. He rolled over and tried to ignore her. “I’ve always wanted to go to one, but dad wouldn’t let me.”

“Fascinating.” Senkuu mumbled.

“What do people do at sleep overs?”

“They _sleep_.” Senkuu growled loudly. Fukinawa immediately quieted down, and Senkuu let out a long breath. Good. Maybe she’d fall asleep _now_. A minute went by, and then another. Senkuu closed his eyes and tried to get back to naming the periodic table of elements. Where was he? Helium. Check. Number three-

“Hey Senkuu?”

“I’m sleeping.”

“Can you tell me more about bats?” She asked. Senkuu blinked, then rolled over to look at her. She was on her side, gazing down at him with big, curious eyes.

“…Do you really want to know?”

“Yeah.” She said with a smile. He immediately smiled and sat up.

“Well, did you know they use echolocation to see?”

“What’s that?”

“It’s when an animal makes a noise, and that noise bounces off an object before returning to the animal. That way, the animal knows where it is.”

“Really?” She asked. He nodded quickly.

“Yeah, dolphins use it too. Look-,” He got up and scurried over to his bookcase before pulling out an encyclopedia. He then rushed over to her. “Move.” He said simply as he shooed her to the side. She shuffled over so her could sit on bed too, and he opened up the large book. “See? Echolocation.”

“Neat.”

“Yeah, different animals use it. But it’s something always found in bats. And did you know that bats don’t have wings like a bird? It’s actually skin between their fingers.”

“Whow.”

“Yeah, see if we go here…” Senkuu flipped through the pages and continued to explain more.

Byakuya awoke to his alarm and let out a loud yawn. He did his usual routine of taking a shower and waking up before he got dressed and walked down the stairs. There wasn’t any noise. Odd, usually Senkuu was awake before him. Byakuya looked into the kitchen, but there was no one there. He looked into the living room, and for a brief moment almost had a heart attack as he noticed Fukinawa was missing. But he quickly calmed himself. Her bedding was missing too. That meant she moved somewhere.

He went back up the stairs and quietly opened Senkuu’s door. And what he saw mildly surprised him. There was Fukinawa, curled up like a kitten near the edge of the bed, sleeping soundly on top of a book. Senkuu slept close to her, his body sprawled out as an open book sat on his stomach. They both had her comforter over them, and their pillows were scattered this way and that. Byakuya smiled and silently closed the door behind him. They had a big day yesterday, so he’d let them sleep in.

He’d call the school and explain what happened. It wouldn’t be terrible if they missed their morning classes. He then frowned as he walked down the stairs. He expected Mr. Fukinawa to call him by now and demand to know where his daughter was. But nothing happened. Byakuya wondered if the man even went home last night…or if he simply didn’t care where his 9-year-old daughter was. Byakuya scratched his stubble as he went to the kitchen to make coffee. He’d have to make a few phone calls, it seemed.

Of course, Senkuu wasn’t thrilled about going into school late (especially with Fukinawa), but it seemed the others were so excited to hear about the abandoned house that they didn’t notice.

“WHOW!” The kids gasped as Senkuu and Fukinawa entered their class during lunch. Their peers quickly rushed at them and began talking at once.

“Taiju said you fought a crazy guy!”

“Wow! So, you really DID get punched in the face!”

“Why didn’t the cannibal eat you?”

“Is it true he was 7 feet tall?!”

“Someone said Fukinawa karate chopped him in the neck!”

“Listen, I can’t answer all of you at once! You have to ask in an orderly fashion!” Senkuu argued.

“Hey! Be quiet! Settle down!” Fukinawa hollered. The children quickly settled down as she put her hands on her hips. “We’ll tell you all about it.” She said as she walked to the front of the room. The other children sat down (others stood because more children had poured in after hearing of Senkuu and Fukinawa’s return). Senkuu walked up to the front with her.

“Alright. To begin-,”

“Did you actually make a bomb and blow up the cannibal?” Someone called out. Senkuu frowned.

“…obviously NOT because you would have heard an explosion-,”

“I heard you made a gun out of wood and baking soda.”

“How would that even work?! I-,”

“Is it true he was actually a zombie and infected Taiju?”

“Taiju is LITERALLY sitting BESIDE YOU-,”

“Did you-,”

“Enough!” Senkuu called out. The children settled down once more. “We will be taking questions after. Please raise your hand if you want to speak.” He then got a whiteboard marker, “First- the mystery of the cannibal ghost-,”

“Zombie!”

“_Whatever_.” Senkuu stressed, “The true inhabitants of the house were not, in fact, flesh eating monsters, but instead something much more common.” He said as he began to write on the board. The other children listened attentively as he told the story (or, more like he went into rants about science, and Fukinawa actually told the story). They went right through the lunch hour and into the next lesson. By then, multiple teachers were listening in, and soon kids filled the hallway just to hear what was going on.

And everyone listened in awe as Senkuu explained the theories, evidence and science behind their adventure.

Oddly enough, Fukinawa slept over at his house for a whole week after that. Byakuya told her that, if her father wasn’t home by 7 o’clock, then he and Senkuu would come over and pick her up. Senkuu found it a bit troublesome, but it seemed to be an issue that wasn’t up for debate, so he let it go. Plus, Fukinawa was turning into an enjoyable person to be around. He was even on a first name basis with her. She liked listening to his science talks, and she had lots of questions about animals (though he tried to get her more interested in physics and such, it just didn’t seem to be her thing). No matter, all science was interesting after all.

Sometimes, when Ayuko visited, Byakuya would get all serious and have serious talks with her. Senkuu wished they would talk in the other room, but Byakuya insisted that Senkuu had to be around for it. So, he’d just watch television or read while the two talked about feelings or whatever. Sometimes Byakuya asked Ayuko what her home was like, and she’d talk about it and her dad. Senkuu didn’t care that much, so he didn’t bother to listen.

And at night, before they went to bed, she and Senkuu would look over his science books together and read about different things. Then, they’d share what they learned with each other. It was fun. Senkuu was even beginning to not hate sleeping on the floor while she slept in his bed.

But then one day, she called their house phone.

“Hey Ayuko-chan.”

“Hi Senkuu-kun…”

“Are you coming over again?”

“No…” She said sadly, “Daddy’s home, and he said I can’t visit anymore.” Senkuu scratched his ear.

“Oh, well, it’s nice your dad is home.”

“…yeah.”

“I mean, you don’t see him a lot, so that must be nice.”

“Yeah, I…I am happy.”

“Ok. Well-,”

“Senkuu, who’s on the phone?” Byakuya asked as he popped his head into the kitchen.

“It’s Ayuko. She says her dad’s home, and she can’t come over anymore. I’ll tell her you say hi.” Senkuu called out, “Uh, Byakuya says hi.”

“Tell him I say hi…”

“Senkuu, give me the phone.” Byakuya said suddenly in a serious tone. Senkuu looked up in confusion before shrugging and handing it over. “Hi Fukinawa, how are you?” Byakuya asked. He then began to walk away. Senkuu went to follow him, but then his father went into the other room and closed the door. Senkuu sighed. He felt something was off, but if no one was going to talk to him about it, then it wasn’t worth getting into.

So, he went back to the kitchen to do his English homework.

Eventually, after a long time, Byakuya came out of the room and gently closed the door. Senkuu looked up at him expectantly as his father came around to the other side of the table and sat down. He leaned against the table and ran a hand through his hair. Senkuu looked his father over before speaking.

“Are you ok?”

“Yes.” Byakuya said as he ran his hand down his face and took a deep breath.

“…Is Ayuko ok?” Senkuu asked. Byakuya waited a long time before answering.

“I can’t say.”

“It’s either yes or no.” Senkuu said, and Byakuya sighed again. He looked off to the side before looking back at his son.

“Senkuu, I have to do something. But…it might cause a…stir at your school.” He said. Senkuu tilted his head.

“Like what?” He asked. Byakuya went silent, so he spoke again, “Do something like what?”

“Sometimes…adults have to make hard decisions…and it’s not always obvious what the best answer is-,”

“Is Ayuko-chan in trouble?” Senkuu asked.

“…She might be.”

“Then we should help her. It’s simple.” Senkuu shrugged as he went back to his homework, “Everything with adults is so dramatic.” He said as he tried to write down the correct answer. Byakuya laughed, then stood up and ruffled Senkuu’s hair. “Hey!”

“Leave it to a child to simplify everything.” He chuckled before picking up the phone again and leaving the room. Senkuu shrugged to himself.

The next day, Fukinawa wasn’t at school. Senkuu looked at her seat and waited for her to show up, but she never did. Not that it mattered. He simply had an interesting fact about giraffes to share. She did come the day after though, and her news shocked everyone.

“I’m moving.”

“What?” He asked as she sat down beside him. A few other students gathered around, class having not started yet.

“Really? Why?”

“Yeah! And where!”

“I’m going to live with my auntie for a while.” She said before she shrugged.

“But why?” One girl asked

“Because a lady said I have to.”

“Why?” Another boy asked. Ayuko shrugged again and looked down at her books.

“When are you moving?” Senkuu asked. She looked up at him with sad eyes.

“Today…” She mumbled.

“Today?!” A friend of hers gasped. Ayuko nodded as her friend gave her a hug.

“You can’t go, Ayuko-chan! You’re my best friend!”

“I know…” She said sadly, her eyes prickling with tears. Senkuu looked around awkwardly. He wasn’t good with people crying. He had no idea what to do at a time like this.

“Alright everyone, time for class.” The teacher said as he entered the room. He looked over at Ayuko and gave a sympathetic smile. “If you ladies need a moment, you can go out into the hallway.” He said gently. Ayuko immediately stood and tried to suppress her tears as she moved for the door. A few other girls quickly stood and followed her as she left. The students whispered to one another.

“Teacher? Why is Fukinawa moving so quickly?”

“That’s a private matter. It’s not something for you to worry about.” He cleared his throat and gave a forced a smile. “Alright! Let’s begin the lesson.” Senkuu listened as the teacher began. A very small part of him also wondered what was happening. Something must have happened between Byakuya and Mr. Fukinawa. But, he doubted Byakuya would tell him exactly what was going on.

No matter. If Ayuko had to move, that’s just how it was. A part of him would miss her, but he had Taiju and other friends now. He’d move on.

“Senkuu-kun, can I talk to you?” Ayuko asked shyly in the locker area. School was finished for the day, and everyone was heading home.

“Uh, ok.” He said as he looked at her, then at her friends who stood behind her like a cheering squad. “What is it?”

“Can…we talk near the big oak tree?” She asked.

“Can’t you just say it now?”

“…No…” She said shyly as she looked at her feet. He sighed.

“Fine.” He mumbled as he began to walk.

“Senkuu!” Taiju yelled from up ahead. Senkuu waved to him.

“Just give me a minute, Taiju. Ayuko-chan wants to talk to me!” Senkuu called out.

“About what?” Taiju hollered back.

“I don’t know!” Senkuu called out again.

“Oh, ok!” Taiju waved. By now, a few students had stopped to stare at the two. Senkuu ignored them and began walking to the tree. He then stopped and turned to Ayuko, who’s face was incredibly red.

“Are you ok? Do you have a fever?”

“Y-you didn’t have to-to shout, you know.” She said as she continued to look at the ground. Senkuu shrugged.

“But I had to tell Taiju.” There was a moment of silence, “Anyway, what is it?” He asked. She looked around and wiggled on the spot. He tilted his head. “What? Just say it.” She clasped her hands together and wrung them as she continued to wiggle around. “…Stop moving around and talk.”

“I-uh-I’m moving.”

“Yeah, I know.” He said flatly.

“So…I…I wanted to tell you that…that I…I…” She swallowed and tried again, “I mean, for um, a while now, I’ve really…um…” She made a sad little sound, then sighed. “I wanted to ask if we could be pen pals.” She said, as if defeated.

“Oh, really?” Senkuu asked, mildly surprised. “Uh, I mean, I don’t really write about my daily life.”

“But…um…maybe we could be science pen pals. Like, you can…send me letters about the cool things you’re doing. And I’ll tell you what I learn about different animals.” She said (mostly to the ground than to him). Senkuu gave a little smile.

“Sure, that sounds fun.” He scratched his chin as his smile grew, “I could show you my notes for my latest experiment. I’m going to try to cross breed two different apple trees to get a totally new kind.”

“Oh, neat.” She said quietly. He put his hands on his hips.

“Great. You have my address. Send me your new one, and I can let you know how my experiment goes.” He said with a grin. She nodded.

“Sure. I-I will.”

“Ok.” He looked around, “Then, I have to go. Taiju and I need to try and find some bees and colonize them.”

“It-it was nice getting to know you, Senkuu-kun. Thank you, for everything.” She said as she wiggled on the spot.

“Oh! Yeah, you too.” He said before she suddenly walked up to him and gave him a light hug. He stood there awkwardly. An uncomfortable silence passed between them. “Uh…Why are you hugging me?”

“Because…I’m saying goodbye.” She sniffed.

“…This is really weird-,”

“It’s just how girls say goodbye, ok?!” She snapped.

“Uh…ok…if you say so…” She continued to hug him. It was weird. So, he finally lightly wrapped his arms around her and gave her a little pat on the back. Seemingly satisfied, she pulled away from him. And sniffed again.

“Thank you.” She whimpered. Senkuu looked at her, waited for her to say something else, then figured she was done.

“Anyway, I’ve got to go…so…I’ll see you later. Bye!” He waved before walking away.

“Bye! I-I’ll write to you!” She called out behind him. But he just continued to walk. That was weird. But it worked out well. He had someone to share his ideas with. That was good. Now, he could move on to his latest plan.

But first…where were he and Taiju going to find a new swarm of bees? And then there was the issue of buying two grown apple trees…

He walked to Taiju and hardly noticed as Ayuko’s friends rushed by him. Taiju waved to him.

“Hey! How’d your talk go?” He asked. Senkuu grinned and planted his hands on his hips.

“Fine! She just wanted to be science pen pals, that’s all!” Taiju smiled.

“Cool! I wonder why she couldn’t just ask you in class?” He asked. Senkuu shrugged.

“I don’t know. Girls are weird sometimes.”

“Yeah.”

“Alright, let’s go, Taiju. We have bees to colonize!”

“Yeah!” The two high fived and walked through the school gates. And as they walked, they discussed and planned and delved into their own world, hardly noticing the one around them.

Senkuu huffed as he opened the door to his room. Colonizing bees was more difficult than he realized. Against all odds, he and Taiju had found a swarm of bees looking for a new home. And catching them hadn’t been too hard (they just had to cut off the branch the swarm was on and put them in a special box Senkuu made). In fact, everything he thought could go wrong didn’t. It was what he _assumed_ to go smoothly that had failed- because _apparently,_ he wasn’t allowed to keep a _bee colony_ in the _backyard_. He understood Byakuya’s concern, but the man just didn’t think logically about it. Keeping a bee colony would be beneficial for everyone. They would help pollinate the neighbours’ gardens and even made honey and wax (which he may or may not have planned to sell back to the neighbours). But all Byakuya could talk about was the bees stinging people and bothering everyone. Apparently, it was _rude_ to release a colony of _bees_ on people without their _consent_.

Utter nonsense.

He put his backpack on the ground and rummaged through it. Clearly, he just had to reason with Byakuya. He was sure that, if he showed him all the information he found in his library book, the man would come around. Senkuu shuffled his books around before something red caught his eye. He paused, then reached inside to pull out a little red envelope. It struck him as familiar, though he couldn’t say why.

He opened it up and took out the paper inside before unfolding it.

On the paper was a drawing of two little mice cuddling together. One had two braids, while the other had a familiar looking hairstyle…

They were surrounded by a large heart, and beneath that in big, fancy letters was written, ‘Thank you!’. He turned the paper over, but there was nothing on the back. He looked at the picture again in utter confusion.

What was it? Why did someone draw mice? Two mice, to be specific. And they were surrounded by a heart. Was someone trying to breed mice? He couldn’t think of anyone asking him about mouse husbandry lately.

He turned it upside down, as if that would hold the answers. But it still remained a mystery. He shrugged and folded it up again. Someone must have put it in his bag by mistake.

He put it back in his bag before pulling out his bee book and walking away.

He couldn’t think of a single person who would want to send him a letter about mice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Senkuu cracks me up. I figure him to be this ultra, mature child while also being completely clueless in other areas. 
> 
> Do you know how much research I had to do for this chapter? I had to read about Pavlov, and mice nests, and bees...man, I'm learning a lot from writing this story. 
> 
> And did Senkuu seem too out of character? I just kind of felt like he would do something like playing with Pavlov's theory, but then again, I know he's not into manipulation and such...let me know what you think, if you have the time.
> 
> Anyway, let me know what you think! And if you have any funny stories about this kind of thing, feel free to share :D  
Have a good day guys! <3


	3. Age 12-13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ....sorry. It's another long chapter xD
> 
> This chapter kind of went one way, and then kind of...went another. If I had to sum up this chapter with a phrase, it would be 'well, that escalated quickly.'
> 
> I had to research a few different things for this chapter. If I get any of the science wrong, please let me know so I can make corrections. Anyway, enjoy!

Age 12

It was the last month before summer vacation. Things were going by normally. School was coming to an end and he was already making plans on where to go in the summer. While other kids planned on going to the beach or out hiking, he was planning on visiting northern China and learning about ancient Chinese medicine. Yes, things were certainly getting exciting.

It was lunch time, and he was eating with some classmates. They were discussing Portal 2, and Senkuu was trying to explain the science behind it when something strange happened.

His voice cracked.

He stopped for a moment, surprised, before he coughed and tried again.

“Like I was saying, if you use the-,” His voice cracked again. Senkuu felt his throat as a few of the other boys snickered. He cleared his throat and continued. “If you use a potato as a battery, you can get energy to…” And thus he went on. His voice didn’t crack again, but it left him feeling wary.

The next day, his voice cracked 4 times.

And the day after that, his legs began aching like he ran a marathon.

Byakuya grinned at Senkuu when he talked to his father about it.

“So…you’re wondering what-,”

“I’m not _wondering_,” Senkuu interrupted, “I know I’m finally going through puberty.”

“So, they talked about it at school?”

“_Please. _I knew about it _long _before school taught me anything. I read about it in the encyclopedia and then did my own research on the internet.” He said. Byakuya frowned.

“…Senkuu, searching those kinds of topics on the internet is dangerous. I thought I installed the child lock-,”

“You think a child lock can stop me? Please.” He waved his father off, “Anyway, what I want to know is, how long is this going to take?” He asked. Byakuya crossed his arms as he leaned against the kitchen counter.

“Senkuu, it takes _years_ for the body to fully change. It’ll be a while before you grow into an adult body-,”

“Yes, yes.” Senkuu waved him off again, “But my _father_, my biological father, how long did it take him? Roughly speaking.” Byakuya grinned at him.

“I don’t know. I didn’t know him then.”

“Darn…” Senkuu said before he began chewing his lip. After a moment, he looked up at his dad.

“Is it as awful as I think it’ll be-,”

“It’s not _awful_-,”

“Don’t lie to me.” Senkuu said flatly. His father uncrossed his arms and sighed.

“…Yes.” Now it was Senkuu’s turn to sigh, “It’s going to be the most awkward, painful time of your life.” He said as Senkuu groaned and covered his face with his hands.

“Ugh…” He ran his hands down his face, then looked off to the side. He had to find a solution. He had to find a way to fix this. “Maybe…” He said out loud, “I could somehow speed up the process-,”

“No.”

“But if I could just-,”

“No!” Byakuya barked. Senkuu looked up at him again. “You shouldn’t mess with your own development, Senkuu. You could seriously hurt yourself.”

“I’d be careful-,”

“Promise me you won’t conduct any experiments like that.” His father ordered. Senkuu waited a moment before lowering his head in defeat.

“Fiiiiine.” He mumbled.

And so, the days wore on. And it did get worse. It got so much worse. The aches and pains increased to cover his whole body. His voice began cracking more dramatically. And he started to smell (which was gross). And sure, he got taller (which was nice) but the pain that came with it was just…

Terrible.

It was all terrible.

That summer, Senkuu learned what it was like to be at odds with himself. His body, whom he had cherished and nurtured his whole life, had violently turned on him. And when he returned to school, others had changed a bit too. Even-

“SWEET LORD.” Senkuu shouted as he beheld his best friend for the first time in two months. “What the HELL happened to _YOU_?!”

“What…this?” Taiju asked as he looked down at himself, “I know right? I just kind of…got taller-,”

“Kind of taller is an understatement.” Senkuu said as he now, for the first time, looked up at his friend. “How could this have happened in two months? I didn’t realize testosterone could do something like this so quickly…”

“Yeah, I shot up real fast. I even have stretch marks on my back.” Taiju said with a chuckle. Senkuu gave him a horrified face.

“No one said we could get stretch marks from growing…” Taiju shrugged.

“Well, I guess I’m just lucky.”

“That’s horrifying.”

“Do you want to see my scars?”

“Of course I do. What kind of question is that?”

Two months later…

Senkuu flipped lazily through his Popular Mechanics magazine as the teacher handed back the tests. It was a simple math test. So simple Senkuu could cry. It had taken him mere minutes to finish it, compared to his peers who took up most of the class. He was so confident he didn’t even look at the test when it was handed to him. He just kept reading. He had more important things to think about.

Like how to build an engine…and how to convince Byakuya to let him tinker with the one in the car.

“100% again? Jeez. If only I had 100%...” A female voice said. Senkuu continued to look at his magazine. He didn’t need to look up to know who was speaking. Tatako. The second best student in class. The first day of school, she had challenged him for the title.

_“So, you’re the one everyone’s been talking about? Ishigami Senkuu.”_ _A girl said loudly. Senkuu ignored her, choosing instead to finish his rough sketch of a motorized bike. After a moment, she spoke again, “I’m Tatako Rie, and I’m the smartest kid in school.” Senkuu continued to ignore her. “I know people say you’re the smartest, but I’m here to tell you that title is already taken.” _

_Engine aside, he still had to fix up the bike in general just so it could hold so much weight. Installing puncture resistant inner tubes was a must…_

_“Hey! I’m talking to you!” She yelled as she put her hands on his desk. He stared at his sketch._

_And obviously he had to change the breaks. Stopping at such a high speed was vital for safety…_

_“Ignoring people is rude!” _

_“So is bothering people…” He mumbled as he scratched something out. _

_“Alright, to prove how smart I am, I challenge you to a math off!” He looked up, suddenly intrigued._

_“You mean a challenge?”_

_“That’s right. I challenge you to a test of math. And whoever wins is called the smartest kid in class.” She said. He grinned and put his pencil down._

_“Ok. Sounds fun.” She grinned back and raced to the front of the class. The rest of the students watched as she grabbed a whiteboard marker. She then began writing on the board as the other students looked on. Senkuu watched in amusement as she finished writing and looked back at him._

_“Ok, now you tell me the answer. And no calculators!” She said as she waved the marker at him. Senkuu got up, walked to the front of the class, and stared at the board. He waited a moment before looking at her._

_“Seriously? Fractions? THAT’S what you start with?” She blushed before erasing the board._

_“I was just testing you. This is the REAL question.” She drew a triangle and wrote some numbers by it._

_“Ahh. Pythagoras Theorem.” He said with a nod as he picked up another marker and easily calculated the answer. Tatako watched with wide eyes as he chuckled. “Yes…This has helped me on a number of occasions. Now, it’s my turn.” He said with a wicked grin. He quickly wrote out an equation before looking back at his adversary. Tatako’s eyes widened as she stared at the formula. She lifted her marker, then lowered her hand as she stared at the different numbers and calculations. “What?” He asked evilly, “You’ve never done advanced functions before?” She continued to stare with her mouth gaped open. _

_“W…what level is this-,”_

_“Oh, it’s just a thing introduced in the final year of high school. It’s also talked about in university.” He clicked the top of his marker on, “You should be happy I didn’t test you on imaginary numbers.” She strained her eyes as she stared at the board. Finally, after a moment, she threw her market down._

_“Gh- Fine! You win this round, but it won’t be so easy next time!” She said as she pointed at him, “Next time it’s going to be a lot harder.” _

_“I look forward to it.” Senkuu said with a grin. His classmates whispered and murmured to one another as Tatako leaned towards him. _

_“So…how do you do it?”_

_“Do what?” He asked as he scratched his ear._

_“Advanced functions. How do you calculate it?” She asked. Senkuu looked at her, mildly surprised._

_“You really wana’ know?”_

_“Of course I want to know! I have to know if I want to beat you next time!” She argued. A smile broke out on his face as he nodded._

_“Alright. Sure, I’ll teach you. Prepare to have your mind BLOWN.”_

And they had had their little rivalry ever since. Though Senkuu continued to wipe the floor with her, Tatako never gave up on their little competition. And she was surprisingly humble. Whenever Senkuu talked about something she didn’t understand, she asked him to explain. It was nice talking to someone who appreciated math. And talking to someone who appreciated the pursuit of knowledge was more important than pride.

“I’m sure you also got 100%, Tatako.” Senkuu said as he flipped to the next page.

“No…I didn’t get 100%.”

“Well, you’ll just have to study har-,”

“I got 101%.” Senkuu’s head shot up as he looked up at her. She sat in the seat in front of him, a smug look on her face as she waved her test in front of his face. Sure enough, it said 101% in big, red ink. Senkuu snatched the test out of her hand and looked it over.

“But- how?!” He asked as he heard her chuckle.

“Ah, poor Ishigami…no longer the golden child.” She mused as he flipped to the third page. He glanced at her calculations. They were all correct and…

“You got an extra 1% for doing ‘additional calculations’?” He gawked, “But…they weren’t needed! What’s the point of additional calculations when they’re pointless?”

“Because,” She said as she snatched the test back, “It means you get more marks. I asked the teacher a week ago about it, and he said he gives out extra marks for extra work.” She said with a grin. Senkuu grinned back.

“Well, it looks like I have to step up my game.”

“Ahh. Today is a beautiful day.” She said happily.

“Hey, Ishigami.” Class had just finished and Senkuu was beginning to pack his bag when Tatako came up to him.

“Yeah?” He asked as he continued to pack.

“I’m having a party at my place. You should come.” She said with a grin. Senkuu looked up for one moment and frowned.

“No.” He said before zipping up his bag.

“No? What do you mean, no?” She gawked. He looked back at her.

“I mean no.”

“But why?!”

“Because I’m 10 billion percent sure it’s going to be boring.”

“How can you say that?” She asked as she put her hands on her hips. Senkuu rolled his eyes.

“Listen, ever since everyone hit puberty, it’s been the same thing. If it’s a party with boys and girls, everyone just acts hormonal and plays stupid games no one even likes.”

“That’s not true.” A third voice said. Senkuu looked beside Tatako where a short girl stood, her hair covering half of her face and her glasses gleaming in the light. A yes, Mouse Girl, as Senkuu referred to her. Timid and quiet, she followed Tatako wherever she went. He supposed Mouse Girl was like Taiju to him, though he couldn’t fathom what Tatako had to gain from their friendship. Where as Tatako was intelligent, decent at sports, and had a large array of friends, Mouse girl was quiet and…well…she didn’t seem to bring a lot to the table.

“Yes, it is. From my observations, when females and males our age gather together, the likelihood of awkward kissing games goes up expediently. Therefore, my answer is, no, I don’t want to go to your party.”

“…There’ll be good food.”

“Bribery? Please,” He grinned at her, “I’ll need something much more interesting than ‘food’ to be swayed.”

“Fine.” Tatako huffed as she pulled out a card from her pocket. Senkuu looked curiously at it before looking back at her. “This is a gift card to that huge bookstore downtown.” Senkuu waited a moment before crossing his arms.

“I’m listening.”

“If you promise to come, and _actually_ come to the party, I’ll give it to you.”

“How much is on it?”

“$40.” Senkuu’s eyebrows shot up. $40? That was a lot. Especially for an elementary school kid. He stared at the card for a moment longer before he tried to grab it. But Tatako pulled away.

“Hey-,”

“Come to the party, and I’ll give it to you then.” She said. Senkuu shrugged his shoulders.

“Fine. I’ll come.”

“Good.” She said with a smile, “And Taiju can come too.” Senkuu shrugged once more. “It’s on Sunday at 2:00pm.”

Before long, Sunday came. Taiju and Senkuu walked down the suburban streets as they spoke to one another.

“I’m still surprised you agreed to go. You don’t normally like parties.” Taiju said as he kicked a rock. It rolled along the ground before stopping just up ahead.

“Yeah, but $40 is $40, and there’s a textbook about an introduction to theoretical physics that I want.” Senkuu said as he approached the rock and kicked it too.

“I wonder if Yuzuriha will be there.” Taiju said with a smile.

“I do believe Yuzuriha will be there…” Senkuu said as a grin crossed his face, “Which is why I brought these.” He then pulled out two, black, circular objects from his pocket. Taiju stared at them.

“…What are they?”

“Magnets.”

“Oh…why do you have magnets?”

“Think about it. At these kinds of parties, there is a 10 billion percent chance that they’ll want to play that stupid spin the bottle game.” Senkuu gave a wicked smile, “So I thought, why not put the odds in your favor? If I can put a magnet in the bottle, and you hold onto the other while Yuzuriha spins it, then it’ll be sure to land on you.” He gave an evil chuckle, “Then, we throw away the magnet, so the likelihood of it landing on you for someone else drops exponentially.” He then held up the magnets to his friend. Taiju took one look at the magnets and shook his head.

“No thanks. I can’t do that. It wouldn’t feel right if the first time Yuzuriha and I kissed was because I cheated. I want us to kiss,” His eyes began to shine, “Because we love each other and want to be together.” Senkuu shrugged.

“Alright. Have it your way.” He said as he put the magnets back in his pocket. They were silent for a moment before Senkuu grinned again.

“So, you’ve been thinking of kissing Yuzuriha then-,”

“Of course not!” Taiju yelled. Senkuu smiled.

“Oh, of course not. Of course not. How foolish of me to think a young man with a crush would want to kiss-,”

“Senkuu stop it!” Senkuu then broke into laughter. It was just too easy to tease Taiju.

Eventually, they made it to the party. All together, there were about 15 other people there (a mixture of boys and girls). It began simple enough. Senkuu talked to some of his classmates about the update to Monster Hunter world, and an array of tasty food was laid out on a table.

Senkuu was testing the matcha swiss roll cake when it all went to hell.

“Ok everyone, time for a game!” Tatako called out. The different preteens stopped talking amongst themselves and began to gather around her in the living room. “We’re going to play spin the bottle!” Everyone burst into giggles and mummers as Senkuu took another bite of his cake and completely avoided eye contact. Maybe Tatako would be so distracted she wouldn’t-,

“Ishigami.” She called out over the crowd. Senkuu glanced at her. She put her hands on her hips and raised one eyebrow, to which he pointed to his dessert, as if to say, ‘I’m eating’. “Get over here.” She said. He pointed once more to his food, and she pulled out the bookstore gift card between two fingers. He frowned. She lifted her chin. He rolled his eyes. She made a motion saying ‘come here’.

“Fine…” He huffed as he put his cake down and walked over. Tatako gave a triumphant smile before gathering everyone into a circle. They all sat down, and Senkuu found himself sitting right across from the cause to all his problems. She gave a confident smile, which he returned with a frown.

“Alright, I think we all know how to play.” She said. A few girls giggled as Tatako continued, “Who wants to go first?” No one volunteered. She looked at Senkuu and gave an evil smile. He closed his eyes and let out a long breath. He could get through this. He had a plan, after all. “Taiju. You should go first.” Senkuu immediately opened his eyes and looked over to his friend, who sat on the other side of someone else. She chose Taiju first?

_Sucks to be him._

His friend blushed and stuttered before shutting his mouth and giving a firm nod. Senkuu watched in mild (veeeery mild) amusement as Taiju tried not to freak out. With a shaking hand, he reached out, grabbed the bottle, closed his eyes, and spun.

It spun once.

And twice.

And landed on Senkuu.

The other preteens broke out into laughter as Taiju stared in horror at his friend. Senkuu raised his brow at him. Taiju stared at him, then the bottle, then him-,

“Don’t even think about it.” Senkuu said before Taiju could speak. The other kids continued to laugh, but Senkuu stared at the bottle. Something was off.

“Ok! Ok. That doesn’t count.” Tatako said as she waved her hand. “Taka, you go next.” The boy beside Senkuu gave a nervous chuckle, reached out for the bottle, and spun it.

It spun once.

And twice.

And landed on Senkuu.

Senkuu raised his eyebrows as a couple of the boys howled with laughter. The others broke into giggles and talk as Senkuu stared closely at the bottle. It was a glass bottle, but it wasn’t clear glass. It was dark and hard to see inside. He crossed his arms. Once is chance, but the bottle landing on him twice? This wasn’t coincidence.

But then, why would the bottle keep choosing him?

Taiju and Taka weren’t trying to aim for him- at least, he knew Taiju wasn’t. And for Taka to know exactly the right speed to spin the bottle was a long shot. Not to mention, the bottle always spun twice, then stopped.

And it didn’t slow down.

His eyes widened. That’s what felt off. The bottle didn’t slow to an eventual stop. It slowed slightly, then immediately landed on him. Something was controlling the bottle! But what could it be? Remote control or…no, something much simpler.

The weight in his pocket suddenly became heavier.

Magnets! The bottle had a magnet in it! But why? Nobody knew Senkuu had magnets in his pocket…

But if the bottle had a magnet, then that meant someone else had its partner. It was just like his plan. Someone had tampered with the bottle so it would land on one specific person.

He looked up just in time to see Tatako glare at the bottle and whisper something to Mouse Girl.

Tatako…she tampered with the bottle…

A smile grew on his face. Clearly, she wanted someone to spin the bottle so it would land on her.

But who?

His smile got bigger. All he had to do was spin. If it landed on her, then he’d know he was her target. But if it just came back to him, then he’d know he wasn’t who she wanted. And then he could just wait and see who the intended target was.

But still, it was just a theory.

First, he’d have to do a simple test to see if there were magnets involved.

“Guess it’s my turn.” He said over everyone’s yammering as he grabbed the bottle. All he had to do was spin it with enough force to bypass the other magnet (if Tatako was currently holding it) and focus on his.

He spun it.

And it immediately landed on him.

“Why does god want everyone to kiss Senkuu?” Taiju asked as the others laughed on and on. Some kids held their stomachs while others tried to wipe away tears. Senkuu looked up to Tatako, who glared angrily at the bottle.

“What’s wrong, Tatako-chan? You look upset.” She looked up at him in confusion as he gave her a dark smile. She looked at the bottle, then him, then at her friend as he chuckled. She thought she could control the game, but she had no idea what she was in for. “Oh, silly me. I guess I’ll just have to spin again.” This final spin would determine if he was her intended target. If it landed on her, then his theory was correct. He reached out and gave the bottle a weak spin. It crawled along, before speeding up slightly and landing on-

Mouse Girl?

Senkuu was mildly surprised as Mouse-chan gave a deep blush and buried her face in her hands. He looked to Tatako, who still looked at the bottle, as if trying to figure it out.

No matter. He could still play out his plan.

“I don’t see what the big deal is.” He sighed dramatically as he got up, “Kissing is simply lips toughing. It doesn’t actually mean anything.” He walked up to Mouse-chan, “In some cultures, they kiss as a greeting. So, there’s really nothing to it.” He crouched down in front of Mouse-chan, who stared up at him with wide eyes, “My case and point.” Everyone suddenly went quiet as he quickly leaned in and gave her a light peck. The room was silent as he pulled away and looked at her. Her face was flush, her eyes wide, and her mouth open, as he looked at her-

Before lunging at Tatako to grab the gift card.

Tatako screeched in surprise as he ripped the card out of her hand and flew into the middle of the circle.

“TIAJU! RUN!” He hollered as he ran past him and down the hall. He heard Taiju scramble and follow him as the other kids screamed and hollered in surprise.

“ISHIGAMI SENKUU!” Tatako screamed as Senkuu let out a maniacal laugh. He kicked off his slippers, tore the door open and ran as fast as his legs would carry him.

“Senkuu!” Taiju yelled as he followed closely behind.

“YOU’RE DEAD, ISHIGAMI! FIRST THING MONDAY! YOU HEAR ME?! YOUR DEAD!!” Tatako screamed as Senkuu continued to run, laughing the whole way.

He and Taiju finally stopped running when they went around a corner (and were sure no one was following them).

“P-perfect!” Senkuu wheezed as he bent over, his hands on his knees, “It w-worked.”

“Wow. Tatako looked _really_ upset.” Taiju said (having already caught his breath…he probably didn’t even break out into a sweat).

“I-ugh-,”

“Take a moment to breath.” Taiju said as he gave Senkuu a pat on the back. Senkuu nodded and took some deep breaths. After a moment, he looked up again.

“Good job. Y-you remember our shoes, right?”

“Yup!” Taiju said as he lifted up a little bag. As soon as they arrived at the party, they had put their outdoor shoes in a bag. The plan was that, as soon as Senkuu had the gift card, they’d run for the exit, and Taiju would grab the bag on the way out.

“Excellent.” Senkuu nodded, and they both took a moment to put on their shoes. Taiju looked to his friend.

“So, what now?”

“Now we go to the bookstore, of course.” Senkuu smiled. “I’ll even buy you a treat.”

“Thanks.” Taiju smiled brightly. They then began to make their way out of the suburban area and towards the bookstore. “Hey, Senkuu?” Taiju asked after a minute.

“Hm?”

“What was it like, anyway?” He said, his voice a little quieter.

“What was what like? Running. It was hell, Taiju. You know that-,”

“No! Not that!” Taiju said dramatically, “I mean when you kissed Miyuki!” Senkuu stared at him for a long moment.

“…Who?”

“Miyuki! You know! She has long hair and glasses, and she’s really shy-,”

“Ah, yes! Mouse girl-,”

“You should at least know her name if you kissed her!” Taiju barked. Senkuu simply shrugged.

“Like I said, it wasn’t anything. Giving someone a high five would be more thrilling.”

“Oh, so-,”

“Doing the _dishes_ would be more thrilling.”

“So…you didn’t feel _anything?_” Taiju asked in wonder. Senkuu sighed.

“Listen, Taiju, life isn’t a fairy tale. The first time an individual kisses another individual, it doesn’t mean it’s going to be all…rainbows and sparkles and whatever. Scientifically, it doesn’t mean anything. It’s just a touch. It means nothing.”

“Oh…” Taiju said, obviously a little deflated. Senkuu looked at his friend before closing his eyes and sighing again.

“_However_, being the kind of guy I am, this kind of reaction is to be expected. But, I’m sure the first time you and Yuzuriha kiss will be magical or…whatever.”

“You really think so?!” His friend said, the fire in him immediately ignited once more.

“Sure, sure. I’m sure there’ll be lots of dopamine and oxytocin and all that good stuff.”

“Thanks, buddy!” Taiju said, a wide grin on his face. Senkuu shrugged and smiled. There was a 10 billion percent chance that Taiju had no idea what he just said. But that was fine.

Of course, Tatako was ready and waiting at school Monday morning. Senkuu sighed and went to his seat as she lectured him on guest etiquette and how stealing was bad. He leaned his elbow on the table and placed his chin in his hand as he watched her wave her arms and talk on and on. Didn’t girls ever get tired of talking? They just always seemed to have something to say. Could it be that women talked more than men? Or was he making an observation based on individuals and not a group as a whole? He should look into it.

“You’re just mad because your plan didn’t work.” He said, interrupting her. She stopped and frowned at him.

“What plan?”

“The plan to make me kiss you.” He gave her a mocking grin, “Though, I must commend you on the use of magnets. I actually-,”

“I didn’t want you to KISS ME!” She said loudly, quickly becoming flustered. Immediately the other kids went quiet and watched the two of them. Senkuu frowned.

“Sure you did. That’s why you made such a fuss for me to come to your stupid party. You put a magnet in the bottle and had another one in your pocket. That way, it would land on you-,”

“Your-that’s-I-,”

“You don’t have to be embarrassed. It would have worked if I hadn’t had magnets in my own pocket.” He said with a shrug. The other kids gathered around them and watched the spectacle.

“I didn’t do that so you would KISS me!”

“So, you admit to rigging the bottle.”

“But, I didn’t do it so _you_ would kiss _me!”_ She said angrily. Senkuu picked up his pencil and twirled it around.

“Sure, you did. And it would have worked too if Mouse-chan hadn’t of taken the magnet from you.”

“Wha-who?!” She said with a flabbergasted look.

“You know, Mouse-chan. The quiet girl.” He pointed his pencil at the girl, who quickly blushed and hid her face in her hands. “The one I ended up kissing.” He looked back at Tatako, who stared at him in utter shock. The rest of the students were quiet as they waited for a reaction. Senkuu was about to speak again when she interrupted him.

“You, are the BIGGEST idiot I have EVER MET.”

“What?” Senkuu said as he immediately sat tall. Tatako face palmed and groaned.

“How are you _so smart_ and _so stupid_.”

“What are you talking about? I figured out your plan-,”

“How can you do advanced functions but not figure out something so obvious?!” She said as she flung her arms out.

“What are you talking about? This isn’t about math-,”

“You’re such an idiot” Tatako moaned into her hands, “I can’t even talk to you.” She then walked over to her seat and sat down.

“Hey! Why did you call me an idiot?” He called out. His peers giggled and whispered to one another as they took their own seats. “Tatako! Hey!”

“Alright. Time to settle down.” The teacher said as she came in. Senkuu frowned. What had gotten into her?

Three months passed. It was the new year, and Senkuu could now officially say he was a teenager. Yes, he was officially 13. He didn’t feel that much different though. He still had growing pains, but other than that he hadn’t experienced any dramatic changes to his physical being (other than the fact that his voice hardly cracked anymore. Now, it just stayed at a lower pitch).

Now, it was winter. It was cold, and Senkuu was sitting in an (unfortunately) familiar living room trying to warm up.

“Here you go.” Mrs. Tatako said as she put some tea down before him and his three classmates.

“Thank you.” They all said as she smiled and walked off somewhere. Senkuu wrapped his hands around the warm cup of tea and willed his fingers to warm up.

“Ok, let’s get started.” Tatako said as she opened up her binder. Senkuu looked over at Taka and Mouse-chan. Somehow, the four of them had found themselves in a group together. Was it coincidence? He doubted it. If anything, it reinforced a theory he had developed over the past few months.

And that was that Tatako had a crush on him.

He rolled his eyes at the mere thought. But she was showing all the signs of having a crush that he read about (he and Byakuya had to have a ‘talk’ when he found Senkuu researching the science behind relationships. Byakuya really was all about the dangers of the internet and how Senkuu could rot his vulnerable, young mind if he stumbled onto the wrong website).

Yes, Tatako was showing all sorts of signs. She talked to him a lot and always seemed eager to be in a group project with him. Not to mention she sought him out during lunch and after school. And every time Mouse-chan would tag along, as if Tatako needed her own cheering squad or something. Not to mention the fact that Tatako had invited him to her party and tried to make him kiss her.

And now they were in a group project. For the _third_ time. This was no mistake. She obviously had some sort of romantic feelings for him. He huffed and took a sip of his tea. As to why, he had no idea. It wasn’t like he gave off any signals that he was interested in anything like that. And if he _was_ somehow giving people that impression, then he desperately hoped someone would _tell_ him.

“Miyuki, which social class did you and Taka choose?” Tatako asked. Miyuki mumbled something that Senkuu couldn’t hear. Taka looked at her, then looked to the others.

“Yeah, we chose to talk about the peasant class. I wanted to do research on the military or the Shogun, but they were already taken.”

“I mean, technically there were only four class types in Japan. The Shogun were above the class system all together.” Senkuu said as he took another sip of tea.

“Yeah, but the teacher changed some groups around, so now there’s five groups. So, one group has to research the Shoguns.”

“Yeah, ok, anyway,” Tatako said as she waved her hand, “How about we split up the work. Two people can look into the social part of it, and two others can research how they contributed to the system.” Taka and Senkuu immediately looked at one another. In that moment, they came to a silent agreement.

“Taka and I will work together.”

“Yeah.” Taka agreed.

“OR, I can work with Taka, and Miyuki -chan can work with Ishigami.” Tatako said with a smile. Taka and Senkuu looked at each other once more.

“OR, Senkuu and I could just work together-,”

“My way is much better.”

“Why?” Senkuu asked. Tatako crossed her arms.

“Because Miyuki-chan and I always work together. It will be good for us to work with other people-,”

“But…Senkuu and I are both boys.”

“So?”

“So…it just makes sense for us to work together-,”

“What, so girls aren’t allowed to work with boys?” Tatako argued.

“I didn’t say that.” Taka said as he raised his hands.

“Ugh, forget it.” Senkuu said as he rolled his eyes, “I’ll work with Miyuki. It isn’t worth fighting over.”

Senkuu read from the tablet, his arms crossed, and his brow furrowed in concentration. Or, he was trying to concentrate. It was hard because Mouse-chan had to sit _right beside him_ in order to read the tablet too. He would have happily read a book, but Tatako had loudly announced that she and Taka would look through the history book her father had, which left himself and Mouse-chan with the tablet.

Not even a computer. A _tablet_.

He huffed and tried to focus again.

The peasant class was the second in the four-class system because they produced the food for the country. Interesting. In other cultures, the peasants were below the artisans and craftsmen. It was nice to see food production taken so seriously.

Mouse-chan lightly bumped against him, so he nudged her away.

“Sorry.” He heard her whisper.

“It’s fine. But do you have to sit so close?”

“N-no…if It’s bothering you…I can move-,”

“Yeah, it’s bothering me-,”

“Don’t be mean, Ishigami. Miyuki has to be able to see the screen too.” Tatako said from the other side of the table. Senkuu sighed.

“This would be easier if you let us use your _computer_.”

“Nope. Dad won’t let us. We only have the tablet.”

_I seriously doubt that._

He let out another breath and went back to reading. Mouse-chan continued to sit incredibly (uncomfortably) close to him. Every now and then she’d accidentally bump into him, but she’d pull back quickly. He supposed she couldn’t help it, but it also didn’t help that she kept shaking. After a few minutes he suddenly turned to her.

“Why are you shaking so much? Are you cold?”

“Wh-what? N-no.” She said quietly.

“Hold out your hands.”

“B-but I-,”

“Just do it.” He ordered. She held up her hands, which shook uncontrollably. He rose his eyebrows. “Did you eat a bunch of sugar before you came here? Why are you shaking so much?”

“I-I do-don’t know…” She gulped.

“Did you drink a lot of pop? Or tea? Something with caffeine?” He asked. She shook her head. “Are you scared of something?”

“N-no!” She said quickly. He stared at her for a moment before grabbing her wrist and turning it over. She tried to protest, but he quickly shushed her as he pressed his fingers against her pulse and counted. He then calculated by four and-

“150?! Jeez! Are you on some sort of medication or something?” He asked as she shook her head. “Do you feel a shortness of breath?” He quickly reached out and laid his wrist against her forehead, “You’re really hot too. Does your family have a history of heart disease? Do you feel any swelling in your ankles?”

“N-No!” Miyuki squeaked as she suddenly hid her face in her hands.

“Do you have diabetes or high cholesterol? You might have to go to a doctor-,” All of a sudden, she jumped up and ran out of the room. “Hey!” Senkuu shouted as he quickly got up and followed her. Miyuki rounded a corner, and he suddenly heard a door slam shut. Senkuu ran around the corner and looked at the door. “Hey! I’m trying to help! You might have a heart condition. I’ve been reading about this. Tachycardia is serious if it appears for no reason.” There was no answer. He knocked. “I’m serious!” The room was quiet. “Mouse-chan!” He waited a moment, but still there was no sound, “Miyuki! Hey!” He waited another moment, but no sound came from the room. He sighed, rolled his eyes, and walked back to the others. Taka looked up in surprise, while Tatako seemed to be suppressing a smile.

“Is she ok?” Taka asked.

“I don’t know. She won’t tell me anything.” He then looked to Tatako, “I don’t know what you’re smiling about. Heart disease is serious.” But Tatako just continued to smile.

Another month passed. Thankfully, Senkuu was able to get out of doing a group project with Tatako and Mouse-chan again (though, it was a narrow escape. He basically had to lunge himself at a group of boys to avoid the girls). But, Tatako still found ways to talk to him. Her favourite place to find him was the lockers.

“Hey, Ishigami.” She said as she walked up. It was the end of the day. He needed to get home and grab a package of metal potassium he ordered before Byakuya found out about it.

“Busy.” Was all he said as he changed his shoes.

“I was just wondering if you wanted to come over for a study group. I’m trying to help Miyuki and a few others with the upcoming math test.”

Ah, math. He knew she used the subject to grab his attention and damn her if it didn’t work every time.

He was even tempted to think about it. The possibility of having another math battle with Tatako was tempting in itself (he still won every time, but she was becoming a stronger opponent every day).

However, today wouldn’t do.

“Sorry, but I have to get home before my dad finds the potassium I ordered.”

“The possum?”

“No,” He smirked, “Potassium. The element.”

“Why do you need potassium?” Mouse-chan asked quietly. He grinned.

“I want to do an experiment on the efficiency of keeping potassium metal in oil for prolonged periods of time.” His grin became dark, “But if I do it wrong, it could cause a violent explosion.” Tatako crossed her arms.

“Why are you smiling at that?”

“Because it’s fun! Besides, its easy to avoid combustion. I just have to make sure there isn’t any water near it and keep the room extra dry.”

“It sounds dangerous.” Mouse-chan squeaked.

“Don’t worry, Mouse-chan. It’s not if you know what you’re doing-,”

“Don’t call her that.” Tatako suddenly said.

“Don’t call her what?”

“Mouse-chan. Don’t call her that. It’s mean.”

“It’s not _mean_. She’s just like a mouse. A girls like mice, right? They’re all…cute and whatever.” He put his indoor shoes in his locker and closed the door, “If anything, it’s a compliment.”

“I doubt that.”

“Anyway, I’ve got to go. Byakuya will probably freak out if he finds my package before I get home.” He nodded to them, “See yah.” But Tatako just glared at him and watched him go. All the while Mouse-chan tried to cover her crimson face.

A few days later, Senkuu was packing up to go home when the class president came up to him.

“Ishigami, the teacher needs you to get some gloves from the janitor’s closet.”

“Why does she need gloves?” He asked, “And isn’t that something for whoever’s on cleaning duty to do?” His classmate shrugged.

“Just get them, would you?”

“Why can’t someone else do it?”

“Because you’re the first person I saw, that’s why. Stop wasting time and just do it.”

“Fine.” Senkuu mumbled as he put down his bag and turned to walk for the door.

“And Hanata, go with him.” The class president said. Mouse-chan looked up from her own bag and blushed.

“Oh! B-…um…I’m not on cleaning-,”

“We don’t need _two people_ to get gloves.” Senkuu said as he rolled his eyes.

“You also need some cleaning stuff.”

“_Cleaning stuff?_” Senkuu mocked. “Could you please be a little more _vague_.”

“I don’t know, like, soap to clean the floor-,”

“Why is the teacher cleaning the floor?”

“Just get it would you! Jeez!” The class president said as he shook his head. Senkuu rolled his eyes again before looking over at Miyuki.

“Alright. Let’s get this over with.” He then left the room, not bothering to see if she would follow. It took only a moment before she scurried up beside him and matched his pace. He put his hands in his pockets while she wrung her hands nervously in front of her. She kept her head down, her eyes downcast. And she was quiet, like usual.

Quiet as a mouse.

“Did you ever go to the doctor like I suggested?” He asked nonchalantly. She mumbled a response (which was expected). “Please, speak up. People can’t hear you when you mumble.” He sighed.

“U-um…no. I, uh, didn’t g-go-,”

“You know that having a high resting heart rate is bad, right? Something could be seriously wrong with your health.”

“I-I know.”

“I’m just trying to help.” He huffed as he kicked a candy wrapper laying on the floor. The conversation died between them. They walked in silence. Senkuu took in the near empty hallways. He looked out the large windows to the snowy world outside before looking back to the scuffed up, messy floors. They finally came to the cleaning closet, which Senkuu quickly opened.

He flipped the switch on and went inside. To the left was a wall filled with shelves and cleaning supplies. To the right were a few brooms and a mop and bucket (which sat beside a faucet sticking out of the wall). He looked around the shelves for gloves and soap. Garbage bags, dusters, cleaning chemicals…hand soap. He picked it up. That wouldn’t be good enough-

Without warning, something large smashed into him before he crashed onto the floor. The door slammed shut violently, and suddenly there was hysterical laughter and whopping from outside the room.

“Sorry! Sorry!” Miyuki sputtered, but Senkuu just shoved her off and rushed for the door. He immediately grabbed the doorknob, but it wouldn’t turn.

“Damn!” He hissed before he tried shoving the door open. It didn’t budge. “Hey! Knock it off! Let us out!” Senkuu yelled as he pounded on the door.

“You two need some quality time!” A male voice jeered.

“Yeah!” Someone laughed.

“Open the door! This isn’t funny!” Senkuu yelled again.

“I think it’s hilarious.”

“Don’t worry, the janitor will be back in half an hour! You two can cuddle up until then.” A girl laughed. Senkuu felt his heart begin to beat faster, and his body warm. And he felt anger. He felt a LOT of anger.

“OPEN THE DOOR! NOW!” He pounded. But the others continued to laugh and jeer. “I’m _not playing games!_”

“Oooh! Snekku’s angry.”

“He’ll thank us later.”

_“OPEN THE DOOR!_” He roared. But they just laughed and laughed. And then, the laughter began to fade. Senkuu clenched his fists as he slammed them against the door, “DAMN YOU! You-YOU STUPID KIDS!” He hit the door again, but it was no use. They were gone. He let out a strangled breath as he slowly pressed his palms against the door. Locked in a closet. With a girl.

How incredibly immature.

“I-Ishigami?” Said girl squeaked. He pressed his forehead against the cool wood.

“Yeah.”

“Is…the door l-locked-,”

“_Obviously _it is, or I would have _opened it_.” He snapped. She went quiet. A silence hung in the air. “Sorry.” He mumbled.

“I…It’s ok…” She whispered. He sighed against the door, gained his composure, then turned to her. She sat on the floor, small and defeated. She looked up at him with concerned, frightened eyes. “Um…Ho-how long…”

“Half an hour, but I’m not waiting that long.” He immediately turned to the shelves and began to rummage around.

“W-what are you doing?”

“Trying to find something to pick the lock.”

“Y-you know how to d-do that?”

“In theory, yes.” He shuffled different containers and boxes around the shelves. He found a first aid kit with some tweezers, but they were too big to fit in the lock. He needed something small, thin and hard. He continued to shuffle things around.

Nothing.

“You wouldn’t happen to have a bobby pin, would you?” He asked as he looked at Miyuki. She had long hair, so maybe-

“No.”

“Hm.” Was all he said before going back to looking. After a few minutes, he gave up on his idea to pick the lock. He paused for a moment to think. He couldn’t pick the lock. Then maybe…

_Chemicals_

“Maybe I can-,” He quickly picked up different cleaning jugs and looked over their components. He could make a powerful acid to corrode-

_But the room is too small, and it has no ventilation. The fumes would be toxic._

He could always melt the lock-

_Again, toxic gas._

Perhaps he could-

_There. Is. No. Ventilation._

But-

_What chemical could he possibly make that would be strong enough to EAT METAL and NOT PRODUCE TOXIC GAS._

Slowly, he put the jugs down.

No.

It wasn’t a logical risk worth taking.

Their lives weren’t in danger. To risk killing themselves because of a simple miscalculation was insane.

It wasn’t worth it. The situation wasn’t that dire.

He immediately began looking for the next best thing. Something big, hard and heavy. If engineering and chemistry couldn’t save him, then brute force would.

He looked up and down while he shoved different things this way and that. No hammer. No wrench. No crowbar.

No heavy metal objects.

_What kind of cleaning closet IS THIS?!_

Getting fed up with his findings, he moved across the room (which only took two and a half steps) snatched the broom and took another three steps towards the door.

He then smashed the broom against the knob. Miyuki let out a little yelp as he rose the broom and did it again.

“I-I don’t th-think we a-a-allowed to-,”

“This is an _emergency_.” He stressed while trying to remain calm, “I’m _allowed_ to break the door!” He then struck the knob a third time.

But nothing happened. It stayed perfectly in place. It didn’t even seem at all damaged. And as Senkuu stared at the sturdy, unmovable door, he- for once in his life- regretted not being stronger.

“Damn my genes for putting more points in intelligence than strength.” He muttered to himself.

“D-did you break it?” Miyuki squeaked. Senkuu let out a long sigh before tossing the broom aside and sliding down the door. Miyuki flinched as the broom clattered to the ground.

“No…no, I didn’t.” He closed his eyes as he leaned his back against the current cause to his problems, “It appears we’re stuck here for the next,” He looked down at his watch, “20 minutes.” A long silence hung in the air.

“Oh.” Was all his companion said. He took in a long breath before slowly letting it out. Stuck in a closet. With a girl that was afraid of her own shadow. He closed his eyes again. This was going to be the longest 20 minutes of his life.

They sat in silence for a minute, and then another. Three minutes passed. Only 17 to go. He cracked an eye open to see her fidgeting, her eyes darting around the room.

“Are you scared?” He asked suddenly causing her to jump. She quickly shook her head.

“N-no.”

“It’s ok if you are,” He closed his eye, “Lots of people are claustrophobic.”

“I-I’m no-not claus-claustrophobic.” She stuttered.

“You’re shaking like a leaf.”

“I-I-I j-just-,”

“Is it your health condition again?” He opened his eyes and gave her a hard look, “I told you to get that looked at.”

“I do-don’t ha-have a-a-a hea-h-heart problem-,”

“You clearly do.” He said flatly. But she just shook her head.

“I d-d-don’-don’t.” She gasped, her breaths becoming shorter and quicker. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

“_Please_ don’t have a panic attack right now. I literally cannot deal with-,”

“I-I-I-I’m n-n-n-,” And then she just kept stuttering and shaking and hiccupping-

And then she began to cry.

Senkuu slammed the back of his head against the door.

He couldn’t deal with this right now. This was the _last thing_ he needed.

“I-I-I-.” She stuttered and hiccupped and gasped and-

_WHY WHY WHY_

Senkuu repeatedly banged his head against the door.

But that wasn’t helping the situation, and was only giving him a headache, so he decided to just suck it up and do something.

“What do you do for fun?” He asked loudly over her…whatever she was doing. She hiccupped in response. He squeezed his eyes shut. “Do you have a _hobby_?” He asked, trying desperately to distract her. Still nothing. He sighed angrily and finally looked at her. “Do you _read, _or play _sports_ or…_something_?” He said in frustration. Large tears spilled down her face.

He always knew he was horrible at comforting people, and this just proved it. He was grabbing at straws. He had no idea what to do.

“What do you _like?_” He tried again, straining to sound nicer. “Do you like…_music_ or…cooking or…something?” He had no idea what girls liked. They liked different things than men, right? Or didn't they? He didn’t really pay attention to such things. She wiped her tears and continued to stare at him. “Do you…play an instrument?” She shook her head. Well, at least he got a response. “Do you…play a sport?” She gave a weird shrug. That wasn’t much to go on. “Do you…play video games?”

There was a pause.

And then, by god, she nodded. She actually nodded.

Good! He could work with this.

“Like, uh, like Wii games?” She gave a little nod, “What kind of Wii games?” She shrugged, “What about computer games?” She nodded, “Like…strategy games?”

Slowly her tears subsided, and she hiccupped less. She gave another nod.

“Like Starcraft?” She shook her head, “Uh…how about…uh…”

“I li-like civilization…” She said in a soft voice. A grin broke out across his face.

He could work with this! This was actually something he _knew_.

“I do too! What version do you play?”

“I-I’ve played all of them. My brother a-and I play with each o-other.” She said, giving a little sniff as she wiped her tear stained cheeks.

“Ok. What empire do you prefer?”

“I like to be t-the Romans” She said. He opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again.

“Really? _You_ like to play as the Roman Empire?” He asked. She nodded.

“Yeah. I like reading about Rome. And the b-battle tactics were very interesting-,”

“You. Battle tactics.”

“Yeah.” She smiled, “Its amazing how much they conquered. Though, I like to play as other armies too. It’s always interesting to play as the G-Golden Horde.”

“_You._ _Playing as the Mongolians._”

“Yeah. It’s a lot of fun. I play with my brother and his friends.” She said gently. “I…actually really like reading about history. I think it’s r-really interesting.”

“Ok. So, how do you prefer to win the game?” He scratched his face.

“Well, I’d like to win peacefully if I can.” She said, and he nodded.

“Yeah, you struck me as-,”

“But usually my brother and his friends won’t listen, so I need to fight back to get them to leave me alone.”

“Ah, so you’re a defender.”

“Well…At first I was…but now I found that if I take a couple of cities from other people in the beginning, then they leave me alone.”

Senkuu stared at her for a long moment.

“I never would have guessed you to be a _conqueror_.”

“Oh, no!” She held up her hands and blushed, “No! I rather win w-with peace. But my brother and his friends always pick on me, so I need to strike first…usually….”

“So, you…beat them into submission.”

“Of course not! My brother is always so headstrong and violent in the game. But after I destroy his capital city and burn a few others, he usually leaves me alone.” She said with a small sigh. Senkuu crossed his legs and tilted his head.

“…How _old_ is your brother?”

“He’s 17. Same with his friends.”

“And…how _often_ do you win?” He asked. She blushed and rubbed her arm.

“I mean, not _that_ often but…I mean, I’m not too bad at the game- I’m pretty good- not the best, of course.”

“Like, out of ten, how many times do you win?” She looked off for a moment.

“Maybe…eight out of ten-,”

“Eight out of ten times, against your older brother. And his friends.” He said. She nodded shyly and Senkuu grinned. “Well, I think I’d like to play you sometime.” Miyuki perked up and widened her eyes.

“R-really?”

“Sure. I’ve played against Taiju- which is basically a joke- and a few other guys, but most of them don’t strategize very well. I’d be nice to play against someone who actually strategizes.” She stared at him in surprise before smiling.

“I…I’d like that.”

“Ok. We can set up some time to play. What other games do you like to play?”

They were in the middle of discussing what the best weapon against Legiana in Monster Hunter World when Senkuu happened to glance down at his watch. He then paused.

“What is it?” She asked. He held up his watch to see it more closely.

“It seems we’ve been talking for 35 minutes.”

“Oh! I didn’t realize. Sorry-,”

“No- no it’s fine. But,” He looked behind him,

“The janitor was supposed to be here by now.”

“Oh…maybe he’s just late.”

“Yeah…probably.” He said. But something didn’t sit right. It was as if he had missed some vital piece of evidence. They delved back into their discussion.

“The bow is just better. You can just keep shooting him out of the sky.” She argued. Senkuu shook his head.

“That’s what flash bangs are for.”

“But you can run out of those-,”

“Not if you go prepared.”

“But if you do run out, then you have to run around trying to find lightening bugs, or rocks.” She said as she shivered.

“Yeah, but rocks are common. It’s like finding trash.”

_Trash._

Everything stopped for a moment. The candy wrapper he saw in the hallway earlier. Something about that didn’t sit right with him. In fact, there were a few things thrown about in the hallways, and the floor itself was scuffed- as if it hadn’t been cleaned recently-

Because it hadn’t.

Senkuu stared wide eyed at the wall.

“The janitor isn’t coming.”

“What?” She asked suddenly.

“The janitor…he’s not here today. He hasn’t been here for two days at least.”

“W-what?” Senkuu leapt to his feet and turned towards the door.

“The hallways were dirty because he hasn’t been here. That’s probably why the teacher wanted soap to clean the floor- assuming that wasn’t made up just to lock us in here.” He looked up at the door. “If the other kids didn’t tell anyone we’re here, then no one knows where we are.” He suddenly banged on the door. “Hey! Is there anyone there?! We need help!” He called out. But it was quiet. Come to think of it, it had been quiet since they were shoved into the closet in the first place. “We need help! We’re locked in!” He shouted again.

No one responded.

“W-what are we going to do?” Miyuki shivered.

“We’re going to keep calling for help until someone comes for us. It’s too early for the teachers to go home, and there must be some sort of club that stays after school today. Someone’s bound to hear us.”

“O-ok!”

“Hey! We need help!”

“Help us!” Miyuki said more loudly. Soon, the two of them were banging on the door and calling out for help, but no one answered. A few minutes went by.

Then a few more.

Their voices began to go hoarse.

Half an hour passed.

And nobody came.

Finally, Senkuu stopped and went to the small faucet on the wall to get some water. Miyuki watched as he turned it on, bent over, and drank from it. There was a moment where he stopped drinking and simply watched the water fall. She waited for him to finally turn off the faucet and get up.

“What do we do now?” She asked quietly. His shoulders sagged slightly as he spoke.

“We’re going to spend the night here-,”

“W-what?”

“We have to wait until morning,” He said as he turned to her, “Unless someone comes looking for us, we’re stuck here until school opens again.”

“B-b-but-,”

“You might as well get some water. It’s going to be a long night.” He paused for a moment, “But don’t drink too much. We don’t have a bathroom in here.” Her face immediately paled.

“W-we’re going to b-be s-s-stuck here a-all night? T-t-together?” She stammered. Senkuu sighed as he got up and moved back to the door, where he sat down with his back to the wood.

“Basically. Yeah.”

“B-b-b-b-ut-,”

“_Please_ don’t have another panic attack.”

“B-but I-I-I-I-,” And then she started shaking and crying and sounding like a broken record.

And Senkuu sighed in frustration and face palmed.

After 20 minutes, Miyuki eventually calmed down, and Senkuu had a horrible headache.

“How do you even function? Is it normal to break down like that?” He asked as he rubbed his temples. “The situation isn't that dire.”

“I-I’m allowed to be scared. We-we’re going to be lo-locked in here all night.” She sniffed as she held herself, “We could die here-,”

“Nobody’s going to _die_. We’ll just be really hungry and tired, that’s all.” He put his hands down, “And you weren’t like this when we were talking about video games.” She mumbled something as her body shivered. “What?”

“I said th-that’s different.”

“How?”

“It just is.” She said weakly. And then a silence fell between them. After a moment, Senkuu leaned his head back and closed his eyes. It was going to be a long night. At least they found a mutual hobby to discuss. He’d take the toxic fumes over discussing feelings and…whatever it was girls talked about in secret.

Honestly he hadn't looked into it. He never found research papers about psychology and sociology very intriuging. Then again, assumptions were a pitfall to foolishness, so perhaps he should trudge through it and so a bit of research-

His body involuntarily shivered. It was a bit cold in the small room. And a little damp, thanks to the poor workmanship of the faucet on the wall. It didn’t make for a good combination. At this rate it was going to be a very miserable night.

His companion mumbled something, and he opened his eyes slightly.

“Hm?”

“Do you play Minecraft?” She asked meekly.

“Yeah.” And thus, their conversation once more delved into video games. They discussed strategies and past experiences. Once more her surprising brute force tactic took Senkuu a bit by surprise. Before they knew it, an hour had passed, and then another. The conversation continued and evolved. They discussed No Man’s Sky and Ark. They talked about esports and Let’s Plays. All the while trying to ignore their miserable situation.

“You know, you haven’t stuttered in over two hours. I’m guessing you don’t actually have a speech impediment.” He said suddenly. Her joyful smile suddenly shrunk, and her face became red.

“N-no, I don’t.”

“Ah, stuttered again. Maybe I’m wrong.”

“I…I don’t normally s-stutter.” She said.

“Sure, you do. You stutter all the time.”

“No, I don’t. I only stutter wh-when I’m…” And then her voice trailed off.

“When you what?” He asked, but she mumbled her response. Senkuu opened his mouth to ask again, but a violent shiver suddenly ran across his spine. He quickly held his arms and rubbed them. It was getting colder. Why, he wasn’t quite sure. He knew the ventilation to the room was poor, but he had assumed it got adequate heating.

Unless the heating went off at night.

He paused. That’s ridiculous. The amount of money and power it would take to reheat the school in the morning far exceeded any profit saved from turning the power off at night.

But maybe the heating didn’t shut down? Perhaps the temperature was set to drop during non school hours. It would explain why the room was getting colder.

And if the closet didn’t get enough heat to begin with, then…

“What’s w-wrong?”

“…Are you stuttering because you’re nervous, or because you’re cold?” He asked suddenly. She paused before giving a little shrug.

“Both.”

“Hm.”

“Why?”

“I’m worried about how cold this room is getting.” He glanced over at the faucet, “And the fact that it’s a bit damp.” He shivered again, “But shivering is a good sign. It means the body is functioning properly and trying to force warmth.” He got up and suddenly began moving his arms, “We should move a bit to keep warm.”

“O-oh. Ok.” She got up and copied him. “How do you kn-know about st-stuff like that?”

“I read.” He said simply. They bounced on the spot a bit before he turned to the shelves. “But we can’t move too much because we don’t want to sweat.” He grabbed a roll of paper towels and tossed it at Miyuki. “We have to try to work with what we’ve got. Try to make a blanket for yourself.”

“Why?”

“Because you can’t let yourself get too cold. Besides, your clothing is hardly going to keep you warm. You've only got a blouse and skirt on- even with long socks your legs are still going to get cold quickly. At least my uniform has pants and a light jacket.” She blushed at his comment but complied by unrolling the paper towel. Senkuu got his own roll and began making a kind of shawl. They both bounced on the spot while doing so.

“H-how’s this?” She asked as she held up long sheets of paper towel.

“Fine. And put some beneath you too. Sitting on concrete probably isn’t helping you keep warm.” Once again, she complied, and soon she was sitting on a nest of paper towels. Senkuu wrapped his paper towel shawl over himself and sat down once more. He was still cold, but if it was even 1% better, then it was worth it. “How do you feel?”

“I-I’m still cold but sitting o-on the pa-paper towel is ni-ni-nice.”

“Good.” Senkuu nodded. “We need to keep on top of staying warm. That’s a priority.” He rubbed his hands together and willed warmth into his chilled fingers. “Do you know how the cold will affect your health condition?” He asked. Miyuki sighed.

“I-I told you, I don’t h-h-have a health con-condition-,”

“You might not think so, but the evidence says otherwise.” He rubbed his legs, “How often do you have increased heart rate? On average.”

“I-it’s nothing.” She said as her face became red.

“Listen, we have time to kill, so we might as well solve the mystery to your heart condition. The first step is to determine how often it happens-,”

“I don’t wa-want to talk ab-ab-about it.”

“Well, there’s nothing else to talk about, so we might as well discuss this. Now, how often in a day would you say, on average? At least once a day? Or does it happen only a few times a week.” She looked up at him as her face blazed red and her lips trembled.

“Y….you don’t have to mo-m-mock me.” She said quietly. Senkuu crossed his arms.

“I’m not mocking you. I take health seriously. And heart conditions-,”

“You k-know why. So, st-stop pre-pretending like you do-do-don’t.”

“What do you think I am, psychic? I won’t know your condition unless you tell me.”

“Y-you already know.”

“No, I don’t! So, stop being childish and just tell me-,”

“Everybody does.”

“Then I guess I’m just an idiot who can figure things out! So just tell me: What is your health condition?”

And either out of frustration, fatigue, or perhaps plain bravery, Miyuki took in a breath and stared Senkuu dead in the eyes.

“I have a crush on you.”

And then silence. The air suddenly became thick. Senkuu blinked at her a few times before speaking.

“…Pardon?”

“I have a c-crush on you.” She said, suddenly losing her courage and looking away. Senkuu felt his stomach drop as his mouth went a little dry.

“You…have a crush on me?” He asked as his voice cracked.

“Yes.” He looked at her, then to the side so he could contemplate what he just heard. He narrowed his eyes in concentration as he covered his mouth with his hand. After a long moment he spoke.

“But…_why_?”

“I-I don’t know.” She said. He stared at her in shock before he suddenly spoke out.

“What do you mean you don’t know _why_?!” He snapped. “How can you- why would _anyone_ have a crush on me?! I’m not interested in dating or anything like that!” He waved his hand, “And I thought Tatako had a crush on me, not you!”

“No, sh-she doesn’t.”

“But- she’s always hanging around me and asking to do group projects and stuff!”

“S-she does that be-because I’m too shy to-to talk to you myself…” She said awkwardly.

“But what about when she rigged the bottle that one time-,”

“She rigged it so it wo-would land on me.” Senkuu stared at her dumbfounded.

“So…you didn’t steal the magnet.”

“No.”

“So, her plan worked.”

“Yes.” Senkuu slowly covered his mouth again.

“Of course…obviously. It all makes sense…” He looked off for a moment before suddenly looking at her again. “You’re not going to try to kiss me or anything, are you?” He asked in annoyance (and a tiny amount of fear). Miyuki’s face became deep red again.

“O-of course not!”

“Ok, good.” He gave her a small glare, “Try to retrain yourself.”

“Why would I- of course I w-wouldn’t kiss you. W-who does that?”

“People.” He said plainly.

“People don't j-just randomly k-k-kiss the person they like.”

“From what I've seen, people do some pretty stupid stuff when feelings are involved."

“You’re an idiot.” She mumbled quietly.

“What?”

“N-nothing.” She said, but from the look in her eyes it seemed he had said something wrong. They then fell into silence once more. Senkuu pondered over the new information. So, Mouse-chan had a crush on him. How utterly confusing and illogical. Why on earth would anyone choose to have a crush on him? It was just so…irrational. And as the minutes ticked by, it confused him further.

“Question.” He said suddenly, breaking her out of her daydreaming, “Why did you choose to have a crush on me?” She blinked at him before she frowned.

“I didn’t _choose_. I just do.”

“No, people have reasons for having romantic feelings for others. So why did you choose to have them for me-,”

“I didn’t choose. I just…do for some reason. I don’t k-know why.”

“So, what? You just woke up one morning and had a crush on me?” He asked in a slightly mocking tone. She nodded and he immediately frowned. “That doesn’t make any sense-,”

“Sure, it does. I-it happens to a lot of people.”

“But…I don’t understand the thought process-,”

“You don’t think. You just feel.” She touched her heart, “It’s like y-your heart decides for you. You don’t have a lot of control o-over it.” She said gently. He proceeded to give her a disgusted expression.

“Seriously. You can’t control it?”

“No.”

“Then can you just…can you stop it? Have you tried _not_ having a crush on me?”

“It doesn’t work like that. You just h-have to wait for it to go away.”

“…like a disease.”

“I…guess?”

“Oh my god…” Senkuu ran a hand through his hair, “If that’s the case- then-,” His eyes widened, “When you showed signs of illness, it wasn’t because of some heart disease. It was because you had a _crush_ on me?!”

“Y-yeah…”

“Then…having a crush on someone means the body has extreme physical reactions?” He looked off, “I mean, I knew the chemistry and biology behind it, and I figured there were _some_ reactions but…to show signs of illness just because of some _feelings.” _He shivered from fear and from cold, “That’s the most terrifying thing I’ve ever heard in my life.” He gripped his hair, “God I hope that never happens to me.” He breathed.

“It probably will.” He looked up to Miyuki, who stared at him very calmly. “It happens to everyone-,”

“Don’t scare me like that.”

“It will. Almost everyone-,”

“Well, I’m _not_ everyone. I have better control of myself then other kids my age. And I’m never going to allow myself to be taken down by some frivolous _feelings_. I have more important things to do.” He crossed his arms, as if that completed his argument. She shrugged.

“Maybe...” She said softly. There was a moment of silence as Senkuu ran through more questions.

“Wait-so-ok. The symptoms. What symptoms do you have when you’re…when you have a crush?”

“It only happens around you.” Senkuu had to refrain himself from gagging. Miyuki thought for a moment, “My heart beat gets really fast, and my hands start to sweat…and I stutter a lot. And I just…it’s hard to think. It’s like…it’s like I get kind of…dumber when I’m around you-,”

“I can have that effect on you?!”

“Yes.” Miyuki nodded.

“Oh my god, that’s _terrifying_-,”

“And I think about you a lot. It’s hard _not_ thinking about you.” Senkuu held his forehead.

“So, it’s like some sort of…all encompassing disease. It’s takes over the mind and body.” He closed his eyes, “How utterly horrifying.”

“And I don’t know w-when it’ll go away.”

“So, the duration is random.” He sighed, “Or- no- I’m sure there are outside factors that influence the duration. But outside influences aside, it’s random.” He shivered. “What a horrible illness…” He opened his eyes and calmly looked at her. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For making you develop feelings for me.”

“Y-you didn’t do anything.”

“Well, I must have done _something_.” He argued. She shrugged. They became quiet again. A minute passed by. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say the silence was awkward, but he was usually oblivious to such things.

“Ishigami?”

“Hm?”

“Can…we still play Civilization some time? W-when this is over?” She asked meekly.

“Of course.”

“Really?” She asked in surprise. Senkuu smiled.

“Sure. As long as your crush on me doesn’t get in the way, I don’t mind. I don’t see how it’d effect our gameplay.” He chuckled, “And, like I said, I hardly get much competition in the game. It’d be nice to have a challenge for once.” Slowly, a little smile bloomed onto her face.

“T-thank you, Ishigami.”

“No problem.” He pointed at her, “Just restrain yourself from kissing me.” She let out a breathy chuckle.

“Sure. Ok.”

For a while, they were in a comfortable silence. The room got colder. Senkuu used the time to think through different plans on how to escape. But most of them were either too impractical or too dangerous. He noticed that Mouse-chan had almost become like a kind of canary for him. She seemed to be getting colder faster than he was (her clothing really was inadequate for this kind of enviroments). After some time, even with her blanket of paper towels, she was constantly shaking.

“Come on. We need to move again.”

“I-I don’t want to.”

“That’s just the cold talking. Come on.” He pushed himself to get up and moved his arms. Miyuki continued to sit still. So, he moved towards her, grabbed her arm and yanked her up.

“Don’t-,”

“I’m _serious_. You need to keep warm. Just copy what I do.” He moved his arms and bounced on the spot, but she just stood still while continuing to hold herself. He rolled his eyes, then grabbed her arms and forced her to move.

“Stop.” She whined quietly.

“No. You could get hypothermia.”

“I-I don’t even kn-know why thas.”

“What?” He asked. She shook her head.

“W-what that is.” She corrected. He let go of her arms and she immediately began holding herself again. She closed her eyes and whimpered slightly. Senkuu let out a frustrated breath. She was being childish. But he seriously needed her to warm up or else things really could get serious. He rolled his eyes and let out another annoyed breath before moving past her and snatching her blanket and nest of paper towels.

“Come on.” He mumbled as he put down her little nest and sat with his back to the door again. She gave him a confused look before he motioned to her, “We should sit beside each other. We’ll stay warmer that way.” She shook her head a little.

“N-no.” That threw him off for a moment. For all the time he knew her, she always just went with the plan.

“Just sit down, will you? Jeez, since when have you been stubborn?”

“It’ll be wired.”

“You mean _weird_? Yeah. It will be. But I’m at the point where I’m too cold to care.” He motioned at her again. “So, just sit down.”

“No.”

“What do you mean ‘no’? Just sit down!”

“No.”

“What is _with_ you?” He shivered, “Stop being immature.”

“No.”

_Fine. Time for a new tactic._

“Miyuki,” Senkuu said in a loud, hard voice, “Sit down. _NOW_.” And just like that, she suddenly came over and immediately sat down beside him.

_Well…that went better than expected_.

He put her pathetic blanket on her and shuffled closer. Their arms touched, and as awkward as it was the warmth was welcome. He checked his watch. Only 7PM. They were still quite a ways from getting out. And he had to admit he was getting tired.

Another half hour went by in silence. Then, his arm suddenly became warmer as a weight came down on his shoulder. He looked over to Miyuki, who was holding his arm and resting her head against him. He frowned.

“Ok. Listen. Sitting beside one another and cuddling are two _completely _difference things. Not that the extra warmth is unwelcome, but it’s still weird to just…grab onto me like this.”

“’s nice.”

“Was this your plan all along? Act cold so you could cuddle me?” He frowned further, “Did you put those guys up to locking us in here?”

“Of curse not.” She said quietly. He sighed.

“Yeah…I guess it wouldn’t make much sense. No one would want to be this culd.”

And it was cold. It was cold to his very bones. He was so cold it felt like he’d never be warm again. What he wouldn’t give for a hot bath and a hot bowl of soup.

“Yur not very comfy,” Miyuki sighed as she rolled her head, trying to find a better position, “How can I slept?”

“Good. I’m not supposed to be comfy. And how tired are you? You keep messing up your wurds.”

“M tired.”

“Yeah, I know. But you can’t sleeep.” He nudged her, “It’s not good. And you can’t anyway because of your shivering.”

“M not shiverering…”

“Yeah you-,”

A light went on in his brain. But it was far away and foggy. Strange. He reached for it and tried to navigate the fog of his mind. Not shivering. But it was cold. That meant something. Something…not good.

He held his forehead as he tried to think. Not shivering…if you’re cold you shiver…so if you don’t shiver and your cold…

His eyes widened as he sat up (when had he started to slouch?)

“What’s my temperature? What’s your- What’s our core temperter?” He asked, his tired brain trying to panic. But it was tired and foggy.

Why was his brain foggy?

_Idiot. You focused so much on how cold she was you didn’t pay attention to yourself._

“Miyuki. Hey. Hey!” He nudged her again, but she just continued to sleep. This was bad. He hadn’t realized how bad the situation had become. It had crept up so slowly- he never thought a simple prank could go this far-

He leapt to his feet, but his muscles ached and his coordination was clumsy, so he fell to the side. He fell into some boxes and was stunned for a moment before he willed himself up again. Ok. The danger just increased tenfold. This was no time to sit by and wait. They had to take action.

_Chemicals_.

He got up, wobbled to the side,

and grabbed a hold of the shelves for balance. He quickly grabbed a green cleaning solution and read the label.

Water, sodium hypochlorite, sodium chloride, sodium hydroxide, water, sodium hypochlorite, sodium chloride, water, sodium hypochlorite, water, water, water-

He blinked rapidly. Why did it have so much water? No, he was rereading the same thing over and over again. He shook his head and tried again.

Water, sodium hypochlorite, sodium chloride, water, sodium hypochlorite, water, water-

“Damn it! Pay attenchen!” He slurred. He tried again. But he just kept reading the same thing.

_Fine. If I can’t read, I’ll just have to go based off my knowledge of cleaners._

He opened container A and opened container B.

_Drink it_

He shook his head. No. That was a wrong thought. Don’t drink it. But he was thirsty…

No. No. Don’t drink it.

_Now, mix the chemicals._

_DON’T MIX THE CHEMICALS._

He wobbled on the spot and stared at them in confusion. He was stumped. Should he mix them? He was confused.

Nothing ventured nothing gained.

He poured the smaller container into the bigger one.

And then he put on the cap and shook it just because he could.

_Now drink it._

_DON’T DRINK IT._

He opened the cap and took in a deep breath of the fumes. He immediately felt light headed and dizzy.

Yup. Those were chemicals alright.

He swirled around to go to the door, but his movement was so fast that he disorientated himself and dropped the container. It fell and splashed right beside the drain. Senkuu watched as it slowly drained away.

“Damn it.” He mumbled as he held his head. He was feeling incredibly dizzy. But they had to get out. He stumbled over to the door and knelt down. With effort, he pushed Miyuki up and then held onto her. It was cold. But she was warm. And he just needed a few minutes to think.

He just had to clear his head.

He’d close his eyes- just for a minute. Just for a moment.

“Senkuu, Senkuu. Wake up.” Someone shook him awake as his eyes fluttered open.

“Mm, wha?” He slurred as he looked up. Miyuki knelt before him.

“I-I found something.”

“What?” He asked as she nodded. She scurried over to the faucet and turned the dial. There was a pause before water gushed out, and a moment after that it began to steam. “We have hot water?” He gasped as he fumbled to get up. She nodded and put the mop bucket under it.

“I-I found that if y-you turn the dial the other way, it m-m-makes hot water.”

“Amazing! Good job, Miyuki!” He said as he stumbled over and put his hand beneath the faucet. Sure enough, it was hot.

“H-here.” She pulled over two fold up chairs and put them beside the bucket. “W-we can soak o-our feet.”

“Good idea.” He said quickly as, with shaking fingers, he took off his shoes and socks. They allowed the bucket to fill half way before they dunked their feet into it. Miyuki smiled.

“That’s much better.” She sighed.

“How did you figure it out?” He asked as he waited to soak up the heat.

“I just h-had a hunch.” She shrugged.

“Well, that’s good enough for me.” He grinned.

“When do you think we’ll get out of here?”

“Well, it’s currently 2am. We’ll have to wait till at least 6am.” He said as he looked at his watch. The numbers flickered on the screen.

“I just want to go home and take a bath.” She sighed.

“Yeah, me too.” He said as he continued to wait to warm up.

“This foot bath is nice though.”

“Yeah. It’s better than nothing.” He wiggled his cold toes. He was still rather cold.

“How long have we been in here, anyway?”

“Well, I mean, we got locked in around 3pm, so-,” He looked at his watch, “It’s 1pm now, so it’s been…uh…” He blinked in confusion and shook his watch. Now it was 4:33am. He shook his watch again. 5:12pm.

He bolted out of his chair, ran for the light switch and flipped it off. Nothing happened. He flipped it on and off repeatedly, but the light stayed on.

“DAMN IT!” He snarled.

“What is it-,”

“This is a _dream_! You’re not even REAL.” He turned to her, “I’ve just been talking to _myself_ this whole time.” He hit his forehead with the palm of his hand, “Of course you didn’t find hot water. A faucet dial can’t be turned in two different directions for cold or hot water. One way is open and the other is close.” He hit his head again, “Stupid! Idiot!”

“It’s ok-,”

“When did I fall asleep? What time is it really?” He looked around, “I need to wake up. NOW.” He pinched himself, but nothing happened. He ran to the shelves and began tearing them apart.

“What are you doing-,”

“I need to wake up! Maybe if I hurt myself or- falling!” He raced back to the door, “If I can jump off the roof-,” He yanked the door, but it didn’t budge. “Damn.” He tried again and again, but to no avail. “DAMN. I don’t know enough about lucid dreaming to control the room.”

“It’s ok.”

“It is NOT OK.” He turned to her and began to panic as the walls began closing in, “We are in a SERIOUS situation, and I’m just _sleeping_.” He pointed at her, “You’re a part of my mind! Do something!”

“Like what?”

“Open the door!”

“But it’s locked-,”

“It’s NOT LOCKED, this is a DREAM. Nothing’s REAL.”

“You need to calm down.” Miyuki said as she took a bite of her sandwich.

“I know- but-,” And then the floor opened up, and he was falling backwards, headfirst down a giant hole. He gasped and tried to breath as the wind rushed past him. Where was he going? What was happening?

And just like that, he slammed into the ground. The back of his head screamed in pain as he felt nausea to his very core. He gasped. He tried to breath. He tried to see, but everything was dark.

Was this it? Was this death? Was he to befall the fate of his parents? Or perhaps he was about to fall into eternal sleep.

_Not yet. I can’t die yet. I’m too young. I have too much to do._

Muffled noises came in and out of the background. He laid on the cold, hard ground, motionless.

So, this was it.

This was the end.

And then a piercing, mind numbing, blazing light pierced through his very being, and he was snatched and torn away from his reality to-

People.

And lights.

And noise.

“Can you hear me?” Someone asked. A man. The man above him. He was shining a light in his eye. Senkuu wanted to tell him to knock it off because he had a SPLITTING headache, but all he could do was moan. “You’re ok, kid. Help is here.” The man let go of Senkuu’s eye, and he shut it once more.

Finally, out of the light.

Now, where was he? Oh, right. He was dying.

Or, he was supposed to be. But then he felt himself put on something soft, and soon he was moving quickly towards…somewhere. Doors opened and closed. Even through his closed eyes he could see flashing lights.

“Senkuu!” Someone called out. He managed to open his eyes a sliver to see his Byakuya come rushing up.

“…dad.” Was all he said.

“It’s ok. I’m here. Everything’s going to be ok.”

“Are you the boy’s father?” The flashlight man asked.

“Yes.”

“We’re going to the Great River Hospital. You can come in the ambulance if you want.”

“Yeah. I want to stay with him.”

Senkuu felt himself jostle around a little until heavy doors shut near by. Someone held his hand in their warm ones.

It was probably Byakuya. There he was. Getting all emotional just because Senkuu was dying.

Typical Byakuya.

“Everything’s going to be alright, Senkuu. I’m here now. Everything’s ok.”

Byakuya had said the exact same words when Senkuu’s parents had died. He remembered Byakuya hugging him, telling him everything was fine. That everything was going to be ok.

And Senkuu wanted to tell him to keep it down because he was tired and wanted to sleep.

The next time Senkuu woke up, he was a lot more comfortable. He could feel a soft pillow under his head, and a warm bed beneath his body. But even with that comfort, something was still off. He slowly opened his eyes to the room. Based on the unfamiliar ceiling, and the curtain to the side, he guessed he was in a hospital. Plus, the oxygen mask pumping him full of warm air was a give away. He lifted up his right hand. On his index finger was a light clip to monitor his heartbeat, while an intravenous line was protruding from his upper hand. No doubt it was pouring warm intravenous fluid into his body.

He looked to the right, where a curtain divided him from someone else. He looked to the left and found Byakuya sleeping in a guest chair.

He was snoring. Senkuu observed him for a moment before he spoke.

“Hey. Wake up.” Senkuu croaked. But his father continued to sleep. So, he looked to the bedside table, grabbed the apple sitting there, and tossed it at the sleeping man. Senkuu wasn’t good at throwing on a good day, so this throw was incredibly pathetic. But it did manage to bounce against Byakuya’s chest and land in his lap. The man jumped awake.

“WH-Who-Senkuu! You’re awake.” He said happily as he sat up.

“Yeah.” He paused for a moment, “What happened? Why am I at the hospital?”

“I was actually going to ask _you_ what happened.” His father said. Senkuu had to think really, really hard before he could conjure up any memories.

“Some kids-,” His dry throat ached, so he took off his mask, reached for some water and took a sip before speaking again, “Someone locked me and my classmate in the cleaning closet.” He took another sip, “They thought the janitor would get us, but he wasn’t working.”

“I was worried when you didn’t come home.”

“How did you find me?” Senkuu asked. Already he was getting tired again.

“I finally called the police, and they said that your classmate was also reported missing. They called around and someone said they thought you accidentally locked yourself in the closet. The police and paramedics got there before I did. And I’m glad they did.” Byakuya moved his chair closer, “You got hypothermia.”

“I figured.” Senkuu said sleepily.

“And they found an empty bottle of rubbing alcohol and bleach.” Byakuya gave a small frown, “I’m guessing that was you.” Senkuu only needed a second to process the information.

“I made _chloroform_?” He asked with wide eyes, “I don’t remember that. Why would I mix those together and make that?”

“I don’t know.” Byakuya shrugged, “The nurse said people don’t think clearly when they have hypothermia, so you must have thought you were doing something right.”

“I hope I didn’t breath it in.”

“…You did.” Byakuya said. Senkuu closed his eyes and sighed.

“…What kind of idiot chloroforms himself?” He asked weakly. “I’m a mockery to chemistry.”

“Well, you’re here now, and that’s what matters.”

There was a brief silence between them. Senkuu felt incredibly tired and wanted to go back to sleep, but he still had a few more questions.

“How’s Mouse-chan?”

“…who?”

“Miyuki. My classmate.”

“Oh. She’s doing better. She’s asleep right now.” Byakuya nodded to the curtain, “She’s actually in the bed beside you.”

“Ok.” Senkuu blinked slowly. “Just so you know, it wasn’t an accident.”

“I know. I figured you weren’t dumb enough to accidentally lock yourself in a closet.” Byakuya sighed, “But, some people thought the two of you were being young and stupid and-,” Senkuu gagged, “It’s not that gross.”

“So gross.”

“Anyway, I figured it was all a part of some prank. The police and school are going to find out who did it, and then I guess we’ll have to figure out where to go from there.”

“I’ll happily accept money or a BARS press.”

“A what?”

“A split-sphere press.”

“Senkuu,” Byakuya shook his head, “Nobodies going to compensate by buying you industrial machinery-,”

“Cowards.”

“We’ll figure it all out later. For now, you should get some sleep.”

“Mm. Yeah, I am pretty tired.” Senkuu said with heavy eyelids.

“Alright. I’ll be right here when you wake up.” Senkuu rolled his eyes.

“You don’t have to get all mushy on me.”

“I’m your father. I’m allowed to be mushy sometimes.” He pushed his chair back, “Now, go back to sleep.”

“Whatever.” Senkuu mumbled. And sleep quickly overtook him.

A day passed. The class president and a few others visited to formally apologize for their prank. Miyuki said it was fine, while Senkuu told them they’d have to try harder if they wanted to kill him next time. Now, he was writing a letter while the television played some Korean soap opera in the background.

_Dear Ayuko,_

_I am writing to inform you that my experiment to successfully create synthetic diamonds is postponed because I am in the hospital. I was involved in an incident that ended with me developing hypothermia and chloroforming myself. It doesn’t matter. Though this is a set back, it does allow me more time to determine which course of action I wish to take (as I have been debating between CVD and detonation (though I’m leaning towards the detonation method due to the complexity of chemicals and safety equipment needed for the CVD method)). I will keep you updated on my progress and send you my research notes (as per usual). And I will send you any failed diamonds I make (I need them to be a certain strength for my drill, so if they are too weak they will be useless. Byakuya said ‘diamonds are a girl’s best friend’, so I figured you’d like any failures). _

_As a follow up to your question about the ‘ladylike’ properties of keeping chickens, I’d like to remind you that experimentation is not about masculinity or femininity. It’s about knowledge. Your father may say that keeping chickens is not ladylike and is for poor people, but I would counter with the fact that he is a deadbeat D-bag who can’t remember your birth date. _

_If your current guardians (your aunt and uncle) approve of the idea, then I see no need to take your father’s opinion into consideration. _

_Another thing_

Senkuu stopped writing when he heard a familiar female voice.

“I’m so sorry about all this, Miyuki-chan.”

“It’s ok Rie-chan, I know you didn’t mean for it to-,”

Senkuu immediately tore the curtain back and stared straight at Tatako.

“You!” Was all he said. Tatako immediately crossed her arms.

“Yeah, what about me?”

“You’re the reason we almost _died_-,”

“First of all, it wasn’t _my_ idea to shove you guys in a closet!”

“Well I’m sure you had _something_ to do with it.”

“All I did was tell the class president I wished you and Miyuki would spend more time together. He’s the one that came up with the prank.”

“Yeah, a prank that almost _killed_ us.” Senkuu said seriously.

“It wasn’t her fault. She was just trying to help.” Miyuki said softly.

“Well she-,”

“Besides, I came with gifts.” Tatako said as she dug around in her backpack. She quickly pulled out two Nintendo DSs and gave one to Miyuki. “I brought your DS from home and brought my own too.” She looked over at Senkuu, “Taiju said you have your DS here, so I thought we could all play Monster Hunter together.” Senkuu paused.

“You play Monster Hunter?”

“Sure. I’m not as good as Miyuki-chan, but I’m alright.” She said casually. Senkuu looked at her, then at his DS on his table, then back at her. “Plus,” She said as she pulled out some papers from her bag, “I brought our homework so we can help Miyuki with her maaaaath.” She sang. Senkuu looked at the DS, then the math homework, then Tatako.

“…Fine.” He huffed before he grabbed his own DS.

“Great.” Tatako switched on her gaming device, “What’s the Wifi here?”

And so, all was seemingly forgiven. They had a good round playing Monster Hunter, and after an hour Taiju visited and played along with them. Overall, it wasn’t the worst time Senkuu had been in the hospital.

And that night, when he drifted off to sleep, he dreamt of colourful monsters, dangerous chemicals, advanced mathematics and little mice.

It was a strange dream, to say the least.

Overall, he only had to spend a few days in the hospital. And when he finally got home and got settled into his room, he came to a conclusion.

He seriously had to stop getting in life threatening situations with his female classmates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously Senkuu. You need to stop getting in these situations.  
I hope you liked this chapter. Did it feel rushed? I'm worried it didn't flow as well as other chapters...  
And Senkuu's reaction to spin the bottle is exactly how I felt about it the first (and only) time I played it. Everyone was all giggly and jittery and I was like, 'This doesn't even mean anything. I don't understand the big deal'. And I kissed a guy, and nothing happened (and it was super lame). Then my friend and I ditched and played something else. 
> 
> Comments are always appreciated! Let me know what you think. Have a good night guys :D


	4. Age 13 (April to June)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So, this was supposed to be one chapter, then it turned into a monster, so I had to cut it into two.   
With that said, I'll be posting 'part 2' in a few days (maybe even tomorrow).   
In this chapter, there is someone (secretly out there), who has a crush on Senkuu, but it's not about them. It's about Senkuu having to deal with his annoying peers (and his own confusions at life).   
We've all been there, Senkuu. We get it, bro.  
Anyway, enjoy the story :D

March came and went, and so did the closing ceremony for elementary school. Senkuu was beyond excited for April to begin as it would mark the beginning of Junior high school. Done were the days of basic math and simple science. He was finally finished with the childish notions of his classmates from elementary school. Finally, things would be different. Finally, he was stepping into adulthood.

The break before the next semester went by in a flash, and soon Senkuu was sitting with his peers at the entrance ceremony. The speech by the principle was long, but Senkuu didn’t really care. He was just excited for school to start. Finally, he could join a science club and meet other kids who were as enthusiastic as he was. Finally, he could get into some real discussions about the complexities of chemistry and the wonders of biology. Finally, he would be with people _like him_.

And the beginning of school was exciting. Though the classes were boring (as usual), he had the chance to sign up for clubs that actually intrigued him. Of course, the first club he signed up for was the science club, along with robotics. Taiju went for more physical clubs, like baseball and soccer, but Senkuu didn’t mind. They were still science partners outside of school.

Yet, as the days went on, something felt…off. Something wasn’t quite right.

It began very slowly. He’d be talking to a classmate in the hall, and they’d suddenly zone out during the conversation. When he followed the direction of their stare, he’d see some other classmate. Nothing out of the ordinary. But then he’d have to say the other person’s name a few times before they snapped out of it. This happened on several occasions.

Then, there were his clubs. The first few meetings, everyone was gung ho to talk about science and computers. But then…their focus began to shift. Senkuu would be talking about the oxidization in burning steel wool when one of his classmates would interrupt to point out a girl in class. And then their little group would become engrossed in discussing her looks. The first time it happened, Senkuu shrugged it off. He had become increasingly used to his peers getting distracted by hormones. But then it just kept happening.

Again.

And again.

Soon, no one wanted to discuss anything of merit. All anyone ever wanted to talk about was boys and girls and their physical appeal. It was maddening. And then there was the complete _garbage_ his classmates would bring to school as ‘reading material’. Senkuu was so repelled by the idea of looking at such a thing that, soon, he immediately left for the lab whenever a classmate would bring it up. Such a magazine was a complete waste of perfectly good paper.

Yes, his dreams of delving into deep, intellectual discussions with like minded peers soon began to die away. As the days turned into weeks, he soon longed for the innocence of childhood again. At least then the others could pay attention for more than 5 seconds.

A month into the living hell that was his life, there was a change in science club. He heard the mummers at lunch when he was eating with Taiju (who didn’t have a lunch meeting with baseball- THANK GOD).

“Hey, Senkuu. Did you hear about the new science teacher?” A classmate asked as he nudged him. Senkuu looked at his peer.

“No. Who is it?”

“A volunteer teacher from Tokyo university.”

“Tokyo university?” Senkuu smirked, “You have my interest.”

“Yeah, apparently she’s a total babe-,”

“Annnnnnnd the interest is lost.” Senkuu turned away from his peer.

“No, listen, she’s going to be helping out in the science club.” His classmate said. Senkuu sighed and looked back at him.

“Do you know _anything_ about her _other_ than her physical appearance.”

“…no-,”

“Then there’s nothing to discuss. Goodbye.” And then he turned around to talk to Taiju again.

It left a bad first impression. Whereas he should have been mauling over what her degree was or what university life was like, he was instead bombarded by the disgusting, whispered comments of his peers.

So, when the end of the school day came and it was time for science club, he didn’t have extremely high expectations. Whereas his other classmates raced to club to get a good look at the new assistant, Senkuu took his time.

_How does no one know this woman’s major? Is she even a scientist? Or is she just studying to be a teacher and is getting some volunteer hours?_

He came up to the open door and walked through it. To the left, many students already sat down while others stood and quietly talked to one another. And to the right stood the usual science club teacher and some other woman. Senkuu paused to take one good look at her.

And, like usual, he didn’t see the big deal.

She had short, brown hair that hung in curls as well as light brown eyes. He could immediately tell she was only part Japanese (as to the other parts…well, she was tanned and short…that didn’t give him much). She also wore a colourful dress shirt along with black dress pants. Was it her clothes? Is that what people liked? She just looked like a person. Yes, a pretty person, but a person nevertheless.

With a quick, soft sigh, he shook his head and found his seat. As soon as he sat down, someone lightly hit him from behind. Senkuu turned around in annoyance to see his classmate from lunch.

“What did I tell you? Total babe, right?”

“I don’t know what constitutes as a ‘babe’. She’s aesthetically pleasing, if that’s what you’re referring to.”

“Oh, she’s aesthetically pleasing alright. _Aes-_thetically pleasing.” His classmate winked at him. And then Senkuu turned around, put his face in his hands, and muffled a painful groan.

_Someone. Please, for the love of god, HELP ME_.

“Alright, everyone. Before you begin your meeting, I want to introduce you to the new volunteer teacher we have. This is Andrea Kikukawa. She’s a student at Tokyo university.”

“Hello students.” The volunteer teacher said, “I’m looking forward to getting to know you. I’m a third year at Tokyo university. I’ve brought along some of the things I work on at the university.” She then (with effort) picked up a suitcase and placed it on the head table. After entering a combination, she opened it up, and inside sat a number of different rocks.

“…You study rocks?” Someone asked.

“Yes.”

“She’s a geologist.” Senkuu said as he peered at the suitcase. Right off the bat he could name 4 of the rocks inside. But a few others remained a mystery to him.

Intriguing.

“Yes. I study geology.” She looked down at the contents of her suitcase, “Here are just a few specimens that I study.” She picked up a certain rock and help it up for the students to see, “This here is one of the most common rocks found in this country. It actually covers about 11% of the land. Does anyone know what it is-,”

“Granite.” Senkuu answered again.

“Right. But can you tell me what _type_ of granite it is?” She asked. Senkuu looked over at her with confusion, “I’ll give you a hint, in geologist terms, its very new.” Senkuu looked at the granite once more. A newer granite? So…maybe 50 million years old?

“I don’t know.” He said. She smiled at him.

“It’s Takidani granodiorite. It’s found in the North Japan alps and is only 1.2 million years old-,”

“1.2?! Are you serious?!” Senkuu immediately sat up to get a better look, “That’s amazing!”

“I know,” The woman said with a proud smile, “Finding a rock this young is quite a find. Though, please don’t touch it. It’s a sample I’m borrowing from the university. My professor will kill me if I don’t bring it back.”

“What’s the big deal?” A classmate asked. Senkuu turned to them to speak, but the teacher spoke first.

“Most granite in Japan is around 70 to 100 million years old. So, finding one so young is quite the discovery.” She said happily. “A couple of the rocks in here are actually ones that are common to Japan. Since we live in a country with lots of volcanos, we have a lot of rocks that are formed because of magma.” She then continued to talk as the other students listened. Senkuu was genuinely impressed. Maybe it was geology that his other peers were interested in. After the volunteer teacher- Andrea-sensei- gave her little presentation, the regular teacher stated that it was time for the club to begin. Thus, the science club president stood up, and soon they were all in groups coming up with ideas for the Toyko science fair.

Senkuu grinned as he joined his group. He had a pretty sweet idea for the science fair that involved a solar powered bicycle, and he was ready to talk about it when it happened.

“Wow. That presentation was uh, something else, huh?” One of the guys said. Senkuu looked at him and was about to respond with ‘oh, I see you’re also interested in geology’ before his other classmate responded with an _extremely _indecent joke about comparing rocks to the human body.

Senkuu violently face palmed before he glared at him.

“Can we NOT talk about such things for 5 MINUTES?!” He barked, “Or are you people _physically incapable _of discussing other topics that _don’t_ regard physical attributes or hormonal _longing_?!”

“Calm down, dude.” An upper classman said.

“That’s just Senkuu. He’s a robot who struggles to comprehend us humans.” Someone else said. Senkuu gave a frustrated sigh.

“Can we _please_ discuss the science fair. I don’t even care _what_ we discuss about it.” He said.

“Ok, sure.” His upper classman smirked, “I was thinking of comparing colognes to see which was the most effective in attracting females-,”

“I will _put bleach in your water bottle!_” Senkuu stressed as his peers laughed. And, thus the day continued as such. Senkuu would try to get everyone back on track, but they’d just go off again.

It was painful.

Actually. Physically. Painful.

And the next science club meeting wasn’t much better. By then, Senkuu had given up on controlling the conversation and was instead slouched in his chair staring up at the ceiling. Oh, to be back home and working on solar panels rather than stuck here with the lab monkeys. Oh, to be amongst peers who actually had something worth talking about. OH TO BE-,

Senkuu lulled his head to the side and stared over at the volunteer teacher, who was staring back. She was leaning against the desk and giving him a look of pity. He let out a small sigh before she lightly motioned with her head to come over. He lightly shook his head because, by god, he couldn’t take much more dribbled conversation, but she then motioned with her hand. He let out another sigh before getting up and sulking over to her (not that his group mates noticed). He came up to her and looked her dead in the eye.

“You…uh…doin’ ok, champ?” She asked. Senkuu continued to stare at her with a dead expression. “From what I can hear, your group isn’t doing much discussion on the science fair.” Senkuu shook his head, “Is that why you’re bummed out?” He nodded. “Yeah, I thought as much.” She sighed and moved to sit on the desk, “Listen, I know it’s super annoying that your school mates don’t want to talk about science stuff, but it’ll pass soon enough-,”

“When?”

“What?”

“_When_ will it pass? The endless discussions of appearance and bodily wants?” Senkuu asked, “I can feel myself slowly slipping into insanity.”

“Well, for some people it never really passes, but for others it’s usually around…mid twenties-,”

“I have to wait THAT LONG?” He said as his face scrunched up. She chuckled.

“I mean, maybe not _that_ long, but it is going to take a while for things to settle.” She smiled, “Thankfully, I’m at an age where things like that don’t take precedence in my mind. So, tell me, what are _you_ going to do for the science fair?”

“…make a solar powered bike.” He said simply.

“That’s cool. What gave you the idea?” She asked. He shrugged, and she grinned. “Hey, come on, you finally get to talk about science stuff. Don’t get all sulky.”

“I’m not _sulky_.” He huffed.

“Ok. What did you do last year for the science fair?”

“…I didn’t participate.” He mumbled.

“Really? Why?”

“I was too busy with other experiments. The science fair is just a fun pass time. I don’t take it too seriously.” He said as he walked to the wall across from her and leaned against it.

“Ah, too big for the science fair. And what other experiments were you doing?” She asked. Senkuu gave a small grin.

“Well, I was pretty busy making a space rocket. Then I tried to make the perfect pharmaceutical for period cramps- my friend Yuzuriha gets terrible cramps that make her bed ridden-,”

“You screwed with pharmaceuticals?” She suddenly asked.

“I mean, I tried to make it-,”

“You didn’t make her eat it, right?” She said. Senkuu gave her a weird look.

“Of course, I made her eat it.”

“WHAT-,”

“She was fine. I triple checked the chemistry.” Senkuu said as he held up his hands in defence.

“You could seriously- so, what? You ground up a bunch of pills and mixed them together?”

“Of course not! I bought the base ingredients and formulated them together to create a new kind of drug. I’m not an _idiot_.” He said. Her eyes widened.

“How- but how could you even _buy_ the base ingredients?-,”

“Money isn’t a problem,” Senkuu said as he waved her off, “I sell off these crappy diamonds I make, so I have enough money to buy such things.” She did a double take before she shook her head.

“You make-what? How do you make crappy diamonds? What are you talking about?” She asked, and Senkuu’s grin grew.

_Prepare to be amazed, geology student._

“Simple. I use the detonation procedure to create detonation nanodiamonds.” And the look on the woman’s face was absolutely priceless. Senkuu prepared himself for the usual adult lecture of ‘you’re too young to do that’ or ‘that’s too dangerous’, but he was surprised when her face lit up with joy and amazement.

“That’s AMAZING! Are you serious?! You’re not messin’ with me, right?” She asked quickly. Senkuu broke out into a smile as he pulled out his phone.

“I am 10 billion percent serious. I have pictures on my phone. See?” He moved to sit beside her and shower her his screen, “See, the first thing I had to do was make the metal chamber-,”

“Why did you decide on the detonation technique?” She asked as she grabbed his phone. He was about to answer when she spoke again, “Well, I guess buying and using a BARS press would be complicated- I mean, you could theoretically make your own, but that would be a whole task in itself. And the chemistry for CVD can get really complicated, not to mention the ingredients you need…” She said as she mumbled the last part. Senkuu’s smile grew as he nodded to her.

“Yes…yes exactly! Making a BARS press would take too much time and resources, and I didn’t have the money to buy one-,”

“And who’s going to sell a 13-year-old a BARS press?” She chuckled.

“Yeah! So, I figured the detonation technique would be better. Not to mention, buying the raw carbon ingredients to make carbon explosives wasn’t too hard-,”

“But, where would you detonate it? You need to submerge it in water in order to cool it down fast enough.”

“I live right by a river. So, I drop it into the deepest part, detonate it, then bring it back.”

“And the deeper the water, the more noise it would muffle.” She mumbled as she nodded along.

“Exactly! As long as I go when there aren’t a lot of people, nobody really minds.” Senkuu beamed.

“This is really something else. I can’t believe you make actual diamonds.” She scrolled to a picture of the small, precious stones sitting on a table, “That method can only produce small diamonds though. And the quality isn’t too great because-,”

“You can melt them down in boiling nitric acid. I know. Originally, I didn’t care about the quality. I just needed a sharp diamond for a drill I was making. But then I found out I could sell them off for some decent cash.”

“Who do you sell them to?”

“I found this jeweller who’s all about ethically harvested diamonds, so I sell them to him, and he makes them into rings and stuff.” He chuckled, “I was going to sell them off to this other guy I met online who was going to pay _way_ more money, but my dad said the guy was probably going to sell them off as good quality.” He shrugged, “I would’ve liked more money, but…you know…_morals_ and all that.” She laughed and he looked over to her again, and what he saw in her eyes was something different from all the other adults- all the other kids.

There was _respect._ And _understanding._

And until that moment, he didn’t realize how thirsty he was for that.

“Colour me impressed, kid. I don’t know if most _people my age_ could pull that off.” She shook her head (which caused her brown curls to bounce), “My prof is gonna’ get a kick out of this when I tell him.”

“You’ll have to let me know what he thinks.” Senkuu said as he sat up taller, “I’d love to get his opinion on it.”

“Sure, he’ll-,”

“Andrea-sensei!” Someone called out. They both looked behind them to the rest of the students (most of which were looking at them).

“Yeah?” She asked. A student put up his hand.

“We need help with something.”

“Sure thing.” She hopped off the desk and looked at Senkuu, “Forget the science fair, kid. What you’ve got goin’ on is way better. Let me know what other crazy things your up to.” She then gave him a thumbs up and walked to the other student. Senkuu smiled as he watched her go. Finally, someone who spoke his _language_. And immediately he began to think of all the experiments he could talk to her about- and ask her about! If she was a geologist, then he would probably have to stick to geological experiments- but no matter. He could tell her- or maybe she’d want to read his reports! His smile (somehow) got bigger as he moved off the desk and walked back to his peers. To think, someone finally reading and understanding his research reports! Byakuya was only good for the ones about physics, but anything other than that was beyond him. But to get a real opinion- a real non biased opinion- was just too good to be true. Maybe- Maybe she could even hand it over to her _professor!_

_A real professor, reading MY research findings!_

He hardly noticed going back to his seat and sitting down before his instincts told him someone was staring at him. He looked to his group members, who glared daggers at him.

And he immediately frowned.

“What?” He asked. They continued to glare before one guy pointed at him.

“You, sir, are a _traitor_.”

“Traitor? How the hell am I a traitor? I didn’t _do_ anything.”

“You know what you did.” Another guy said. Senkuu looked at them in bewilderment and anger.

“What are you even talking about?”

“Traitor.” A third guy said, and they quickly went back to their previous discussion. Senkuu stared at them and frowned. He didn’t know what their deal was, but he wouldn’t let it ruin his good mood.

Senkuu could hardly wait for the next science club meeting. He had debated finding Andrea-sensei the next day, but his father told him to not ‘come on too strongly’. Then he laughed (for whatever reason). So, Senkuu waited (in agony) until the next meeting. And as soon as the bell rang for the end of class, Senkuu booked it to the club room. He got there before the other students and slid the door open before racing up to Andrea (who was organizing some notes).

“Sensei!”

“WHOW!” She jumped before looking at him and laughing, “Hey! Ishigami. How’s it goin’?”

“Good. I wanted to show you-,” He rummaged violently through his backpack before he pulled out a small, tiny bag, “I have some diamonds I made a week ago-,”

“SICK!” She grabbed the bag and opened it up before shaking out a few contents. Three small diamonds tumbled out and fell on her palm. “Whow! Whow. This is- just look at them!” She carefully put the bag on the desk and gently picked up a diamond between her fingers. She then held it close to her eye, “Amazing.”

“Thanks.” Senkuu beamed proudly.

“I mean, even to the naked eye I can see the imperfections of it-,”

“What?”

“But still- very impressive.” She nodded and gently put the diamonds back in their bag, “I told my prof about you and he was _blown away_.” Senkuu picked up the bag, plucked up a diamond and handed it to her.

“You can show him if you want. I’d love to hear his professional opinion.” He said. Her eyes widened as she stared down at the small stone.

“Are you sure? I mean- yeah, he’s a professional but…I don’t want to lose it.”

“It’s ok.” He grinned, “I trust a fellow geologist.” She grinned back and took the small rock from him.

“Ok…thanks! I’ll give it back after he looks at it.” She then gently put it in her pocket. Senkuu smiled at her for a moment- as if his mind just kind of…wanted to treasure the idea of someone giving him a scientific opinion- before he snapped back to reality.

“Oh!” He put the small bag back in his side bag before he pulled out a BUNCH of papers, “I wanted you to read these-,”

“Holy- uh- WHOW!” She fumbled as Senkuu shoved the (very LARGE) stack into her hands.

“They’re the research reports I’ve done for different experiments about geology.”

“You wrote all this?” She grunted, “Damn, this is kind of heavy.” Senkuu nodded enthusiastically.

“Yes, I’ve been keeping research notes for all my experiments since I was 6-,” She laughed but continued to smile, so he took that to mean he should continue, “But I didn’t have any professionals to read them.”

“You…want me to read all this?” Senkuu’s smile faltered.

“Won’t you?”

“I mean, I’m a student myself so I have my own readings to do…” His smile began to fade, and she gave a small sigh, “But, when I’ve got the time, I’d love to read them.” She said with a soft smile. And his smile became so wide he thought his face would break.

“Really?”

“Sure.”

“Thank you!” He said gleefully. She laughed again and shook her head.

“But where am I gonna’ put these? Jeez…” She chuckled as she looked around for something to carry them in. Senkuu was going to help her look when his friend suddenly called out.

“Hey, Senkuu! When you’re done hitting on the new teacher, I have to tell you something.” Senkuu whipped his head around to see his ‘friends’ grinning and snickering at him. And unfortunately, much to his dismay, he felt his ears get a little red.

“I’m not- don’t be stupid!” He said, but the boys laughed.

“Ignore them, kid.” Andrea said, and Senkuu looked back to her, “Teenagers always find ways to mock those seeking greater knowledge.” She said as she rummaged around the desk for a bag. Senkuu smiled at her-

“You’re smiling like an idiot!” His classmate hollered.

“Shut up!” Senkuu barked before he left to go to his usual spot. His supposed ‘friends’ snickered and laughed as he sat down. And the jokes continued all through the meeting.

The next day, there was no science club after school, so he decided to visit the blacksmith he knew. He had an idea for a new experiment, but he had to check with the blacksmith to make sure he was ok with it before Senkuu could use his equipment.

After a short subway ride south (towards Kawasaki), Senkuu got off and wandered down the busy streets to a quieter area. He then headed for the local 7/11. It’d be good to get a drink and snack before he got to the blacksmith’s. The old man there was nice, but he tended to talk a lot (so, Senkuu would probably be there a while).

He had just arrived at the 7/11 when he saw two people talking in the parking lot, one of which looked and sounded familiar.

“Why are you here?” Andrea-sensei asked the man she was talking to.

“I was just getting a snack. It’s just a coincidence that you we-,”

“You live on the other end of the city, and this happens to be the 7/11 I got to all the time. So why-,”

“It’s just a coincidence, jeez, calm down.”

As Senkuu walked closer he got a better look at the man. He was a foreigner who stood taller than Andrea-sensei and had short, black hair. He was wearing an annoyingly bright shirt, but his most striking feature was his face. He was incredibly handsome- strikingly handsome. What was he, a model?

“And it’s a coincidence that I’ve seen you near my apartment the past week?” She asked.

“Listen, I’ve been in the area lately. You don’t have to-,”

“How do you even know where I live-,”

“I _don’t_ know where you live. I told you, I’ve just been in the neighbourhood.” The man said. They continued to talk back and forth, though it seemed like they were having a growing argument. At first, Senkuu was just going to ignore them and head into the store, but he paused. It wasn’t any of his business really…but it’d be nice to talk to Andrea-sensei quickly about his latest experiment (away from the mockery of his peers).

_Ah, what the hell._

“Sensei.” He said as he walked up to them. The two adults immediately looked at him. He expected Andrea to look either happy or surprised. Instead she…well, he couldn’t really read her expression.

“Ishigami. What are you doing here?”

“I came to get a drink before I went to a shop.” He looked at the man in front of him, “What are you doing here?” He asked them. The man smiled.

“Who’s the kid?” He nodded towards Senkuu. Andrea let out a breath.

“He’s a student of mine. You know I’ve been volunteering at a middle school to help out with science and English. He’s one of the kids in the science club.”

“I’m Mark Riley. Nice to meet you.” The man said as he stuck out his hand. Senkuu immediately took his hand and shook it.

“I’m Senkuu Ishigami. It’s nice to meet you too.” He said in English. The man’s smile widened.

“Oh! You know English! Are you in the English club too?”

“No, my English is decent enough, I don’t need to join the club.” Senkuu said in the foreign tongue.

“Well, aren’t you a smart kid, Senkuu. How old are you?” Mark asked with a grin.

“13. And call me Ishigami.” He said without hesitation. The man maintained his grin but narrowed his eyes slightly, and Senkuu couldn’t tell if Mark used his first name because he was a foreigner or used it on purpose to somehow mess with him.

“What store are you going to?” Andrea asked, switching the conversation once more to Japanese.

“Uh, the blacksmith-,” Senkuu said before she interrupted him.

“Cool. I’ll walk you there. You never know what _weirdos_ you’ll run into.” She said as she stared pointedly at the man.

“I’ll come too-,” Mark began, but Andrea cut him off.

“That’s ok. I know you have stuff to do. Come on, Ishigami, I’ll walk you there.”

“I don’t mind-,” Mark said.

“Uh, I still need to buy my drink.” Senkuu said, but Andrea waved him off.

“I’ll buy you a drink when we get there. Come on.”

“I’m not doing anything.” Mark said with a smile, “I’d love to tag along. What’s a ‘blacksmith’ anyway? I don’t know that word-,”

“It’s-,” Senkuu began, but Andrea cut him off too.

“It’s just a store- nothing special. Come on, Ishigami.” She then offered out her hand, as if he was supposed to take it. He gave her a plain look.

“…You’re not my mom. I can walk there on my own-,”

“Come on, Andrea. You don’t want to hang out with some kid. Let me come along-,”

“It’s _fine_, Mark. You don’t need to come-,”

“But I want to-,”

“Who cares? He can come too.” Senkuu said, and suddenly Andrea shot him a hard look.

“No. He’s going home.”

“Andrea-,” Mark began.

“Go home, Mark. Senkuu, _come here._” She said, a bit of stress in her voice. Senkuu looked back at the convenience store.

“But-,”

“Did I stutter?” She asked in a cold tone. A chill ran up Senkuu’s back and immediately any playfulness he had towards the conversation was gone.

“No, Ma’am.” He said on reflex.

Well, this side of her was new.

He immediately walked towards her, but Mark suddenly stepped in his way.

“Why are you so hell bent on going alone? Why can’t I come?” He asked in English.

“Because I said so. Just go home.” She said angrily.

“Are you even _allowed_ to spend time outside school hours with a student? Isn’t there some sort of rule against that?” Mark crossed his arms, “And why are you calling him by his first name?” He asked.

“He’s my student. I can call him whatever name he’s comfortable with. And _no, _there _isn’t _a rule about me spending time with students because I’m a _volunteer_. Not that it _matters_.”

“I think it _does_ matter.” He said, his voice suddenly hard. Andrea took a step forward.

“If you’d like to say something, I’m all ears.” She said, continuing to speak in English. Senkuu struggled just to follow along.

“I just think it’s questionable that you want to spend some alone time with your student. Is there some sort of private _tutoring_ going on?” He mocked. Andrea eyes filled with fire.

“_You’re disgus-_,”

“Ok, _first_ of all,” Senkuu began, causing the other two to look at him, “I know enough English to understand your conversation. _Second_ of all, she’s my sensei, so it wouldn’t be weird if she _was_ tutoring me. _Third_ of all, why are you freaking out so much? If she doesn’t want you to come, get over it. You’re acting like your jealous-,”

“I am _NOT_ jealous of some PUNK.” Mark suddenly spat. Senkuu paused for a moment before a large grin broke out onto his face.

“Oh man, you _are_ jealous. How old are you- wait, let me guess- if you and Andrea know each other, and she came to school here, and you’re a foreigner…You’re around her age? So…mid twenties?” Senkuu laughed as he crossed his arms, “A grown man jealous of a 13-year-old boy. That’s pretty sad.” Mark immediately moved towards him and snatched him by the cuff of his shirt.

“You _LITTLE PUNK-,”_

“Or WORSE, you’re somehow threatened by me. Don’t tell me that’s it-,” Senkuu laughed harder, “You’re threatened by a 13-year-old! I’ve barely learned to shave, and you’re _threatened_ by me! This is hilarious! What kind of loser are you-,” Mark lifted him up by the collar of his shirt, but Senkuu continued to laugh in the man’s face, “I mean, personally I’m flattered.” Mark then gave him a shake-

And then immediately dropped him.

Senkuu wobbled on the spot for a moment before rubbing his neck and looking up at the man again. Andrea stood beside Mark, her hand gripping his shoulder, her eyes burning with rage.

“Don’t you _ever_ touch one of my kids, Mark.” She said, her voice icy cold, “Do you understand me?”

“He started-,” Her fingers dug further into his shoulder and he flinched.

“Do you _understand me_?” He nodded, “Good.” She let go of him and gave him a little shove. “Go home, Mark. I don’t want to see you in this neighbourhood again.” Mark looked into her fiery eyes, his own filled with anger and…something else. And then suddenly he chuckled and shrugged.

“Ok, ok. Jeez. No need to freak out. I’ll go already.” He flashed her a smile, “I’ll see you tomorrow in class.” He then looked to Senkuu and narrowed his eyes slightly. “See you around, Senkuu-chan.”

“It’s Ishigami. Stop using my first name like it’s some sort of power move.” Senkuu said plainly. Mark gave him one last look before he walked off. Both he and Andrea watched Mark go before he walked around a corner and was out of sight. “There’s a guy with issues. You seriously need better friends-,” Senkuu looked to Andrea and then immediately shut up. The anger in her eyes certainly hadn’t left.

“He’s not my friend.” She then turned to him dead on, “Also, though we’ve been having discussions lately, we are not _equals_, Ishigami. I am your _sensei_, so I _expect_ you to listen to me when I tell you to do something. Is that clear?” Senkuu hesitated for a moment.

“But we’re off hours-,” She narrowed her eyes and he straightened his back, “Yes, ma’am.”

“Good.” She then let out a heavy sigh and relaxed her shoulders, “Jeez. I was having a good day, too.” She looked off to where Mark had wandered off, “I seriously need to do something about that guy…”

“Does he bother you a lot?” Andrea looked back at her student and frowned. She thought for a moment before she spoke.

“I appreciate the concern, but it’s not something for you to worry about. It’s my own problem.” Senkuu opened his mouth to speak again, but she cut him off, “And frankly, it’s none of your business.” She looked off again, “I’ll figure something out on my own.”

“Ok…well…I’m going to get my drink…”

“Yeah, I’m gonna head home. I have to do some reading for tomorrow.” Senkuu raised his eyebrow at her.

“I thought you wanted to come to the blacksmith?”

“Nah. We can do that another day. I only said that because I wanted to get Mark off my back.” She shrugged, “And it technically worked.” She put her hands in her pockets, “You gonna be ok? Walking on your own?”

“I’m not a child.” He mumbled.

“I know. I just wanted to check.” She nodded to him, “Alright. I’ll see you at club tomorrow. Enjoy your time at the blacksmith. Take lots of pictures.” She then turned and began to walk off, “I’ll see you later” She waved. He slowly raised his hand to wave back.

“Ok…bye…” And then she was gone. Senkuu frowned further. Well, that was certainly…a thing that happened.

That night, Senkuu came home and thought about the events outside the 7/11. The way Andrea-sensei had spoken to him felt…weird. Until then, she only had words of praise for him and a positive attitude (not to mention she treated him with dignity and respect). But that day…it felt like she just saw him as some kid. And what really threw him was when she had pointed out they weren’t _equals_. Sure, he knew she was _older_ than him, so in that sense they weren’t equals. But they both had a passion for geology, and technically she didn’t have her degree yet, so they were _both_ students…

And normally when she spoke to him it _felt_ like they were equals. That’s why he enjoyed talking to her. Because she didn’t speak down to him, she spoke _to_ him like a peer.

He was honestly a little worried when he went to school the next day. How would she act when she saw him at science club later that afternoon? Would she start talking down to him? Did he somehow break a rule that would result in her not wanting to discuss things with him anymore?

And yet, when he walked into science club that afternoon, she was all smiles. Like her usual self.

“Hey, Ishigami. How’s it goin’?”

“It’s ok.” He said, slightly tentative towards to situation. He didn’t want to tick her off again. He made his way to his seat, the club president announced that they would be practicing chemistry, and everyone got to work. He was about to get a Bunsen burner when Andrea-sensei came up to him.

“I just wanted to quickly ask, what did you end up doing at the blacksmith’s yesterday?” She asked. He paused, then got out his phone and handed it to her.

“I was learning how to make my own magma.”

“You’re making your own _magma_?” Andrea asked loudly as she stared at the pictures on Senkuu’s phone. He nodded.

“Yeah. It’s not too hard. The main thing is getting the furnace hot enough-,”

“That’s why you went to the blacksmith’s? How do you even know a blacksmith?”

“I met him when I needed a furnace to make my own knives.” He shrugged, “Now, he lets me use it whenever I want, so long as I can pay in alcohol.” Andrea chuckled and shook her head.

“You’re the craziest kid I’ve ever met.” She handed him back his phone. “What do you want magma for, anyway?”

“I want to test it’s flow speed and rate while also observing it’s destructive ability.” He took his phone back and looked down at the picture of the furnace. It took him a moment before he looked up to her playful grin.

“I’ll buy that your testing the flow rate, but I’m calling it on the ‘destructive ability’ part. You just want to watch it burn stuff.” He grinned back.

“Come on. How can I make DIY magma and _not_ watch it burn stuff?” They grinned knowingly at one another before she nodded at his phone.

“When are you going to get started?”

“In a few days. I can send you a video when I finally get it working.”

“That’d be awesome. My professor would get a huge kick out of it.” She grinned.

“Sure thing. You know, if you ever want to come by-,”

“Andrea-sensei.” The two looked up, where a group of students sat. “We have a question.”

“Sure!” She quickly moved away from him (which was somewhat disappointing) and nodded to him, “I’ll give you my email later so I can send it to my prof and class.” She then moved over to the group and sat amongst them. He watched with a slight frown as she smoothly switched gears from being a geologist to a teacher. It was seamless for her, and soon it seemed like she hadn’t even spoken to him at all.

Not that such a thing mattered.

“You talk to her a lot.” A voice said. Senkuu looked to his classmate, Taka, who was suddenly standing beside him.

“Who?”

“Andrea-sensei.”

“Yeah, because we share a passion for geology.” Senkuu frowned further, “People who share mutual interests talk a lot.” Taka shrugged.

“I’m just saying.” The two looked at one another in silence before Taka went on, “Do you have a crush on her?” Senkuu’s face scrunched up as he stuck out his tongue.

“Don’t be gross.”

“I’m serious.”

“Of course I don’t. That’d be weird.”

“Well, you sure look at her and talk to her a lot.” Taka said as he crossed his arms.

“Because she’s interesting. Now, stop saying nonsense and help me set up.” Senkuu said as he waved his friend off. Taka shrugged and moved with him to get the different glass containers.

Him. Having a crush. How incredibly ridiculous.

“Do you have a crush on Andrea-sensei?” A girl asked only a week later. Again, they were in science club and he was waiting for Andrea to check some notes he had.

“What? Of course not.”

“Because you talk to her a lot.”

“Because she’s our _teacher_. I _have_ to talk to her a lot.”

“I don’t talk to her that much.” The girl said as she put a hand on her hip.

“Well, I’m actually interested in what she has to say.” He looked back at his notes, assuming the conversation was over.

It was not.

“Taka said you talk about her a lot.”

“I talk about her as much as I talk about other people.” Senkuu mumbled as he flipped the page of his notebook.

“You also look at her a lot-,”

“You people don’t seem to understand the correlation between my looking at her and needing her to check my work.” He didn’t bother to look up, “At times, I require assistance. Thus, I look at her to see if she’s busy.” He flipped his page, “End of story.” There was a blissful, sweet moment of silence before his classmate opened her mouth again.

“It’s ok if you have a cru-,”

“I DON’T have a CRUSH!” He suddenly snapped at her. He looked at her, then slowly looked at the rest of the room as his peers looked back at him. Apparently, he had spoken louder than intended. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “You’re wasting my time.” He then walked to his bag and crouched down to rummage through it. In all honesty, he didn’t actually need anything. He just needed a reason to hide his face for a moment. Unfortunately, he could feel himself blushing (an incredibly annoying physical reaction he wished he had better control over). But, thankfully, his classmate left him alone after that. Good. Hopefully that was the end of it.

But, of course, it wasn’t.

The VERY NEXT DAY, he was eating lunch with Taiju and a few others when Akira randomly began to spout nonsense.

“So, Senkuu, someone told me you have a crush on the new volunteer teacher.” Senkuu automatically threw his head back and groaned painfully. “…I’ll take that as a yes-,”

“No, I don’t! What is _with_ you people and thinking I have a crush on the teacher!” He said, “She just knows a lot about geology! And I happen to enjoy _learning_ about geology. We have mutual interests.” He rolled his eyes, “I didn’t realize it was so _taboo _to speak to an older woman!”

“She’s not that old.” Akira said.

“She’s in her mid twenties, so she’s older than us.” Senkuu narrowed his eyes, “Anyway, I don’t have a crush. And if anyone tells you I do, I personally want you to hit them for me-,”

“Unless it’s a girl.” Taiju chimed in.

“Yeah, if it’s a girl then just say something really mean about her hair or something.”

“He’s joking.” Taiju said.

“I have never been more serious in my _life_-,”

“Ok, listen, this is easy enough to solve.” Akira started.

“There’s nothing to ‘solve’. I don’t have a crush. End of discussion.”

“Senkuu, I want you to close your eyes and imagine-,” Akira began, but Senkuu cut him off.

“Why would I do that?”

“I’m trying to test something-,”

“That’s stupid-,”

“Just shut up and do it, man!” Another guy said. Senkuu growled slightly but yielded and shut his eyes.

“Ok, I want you to imagine you’re with Andrea-sensei.”

“This is pointless.”

“Shut up.” Akira sighed, “Ok. So, you’re sitting beside her-,”

“Why are we sitting beside each other?”

“Because you’re watching a movie-,”

“_Why_?”

“Because you are-,”

“What movie are we watching-,”

“Stop talking!” Akira barked. Senkuu grinned before going silent. “Ugh. Ok, you’re watching a movie. Alone.” Senkuu immediately frowned, “And it’s all dark and stuff. And then, you turn to her and look deep into her eyes-,”

“Oh my god…” Senkuu groaned as he placed his face into his hands.

“And she looks deep into yours- are you imagining this Senkuu?”

“Yeah…yeah, I’m imagining it.” He mumbled.

“Good. So, you’re looking deep into each other’s eyes, and then WHAM! She kisses you!” Akira snapped his fingers, “What do you do?”

“I spit on the floor.” He said without hesitation as he brought his face out of his hands and stared at the other boy. “And then I charge her with assaulting a _minor_.”

“See, there you go.” Akira said as he leaned back in his chair, “You obviously don’t have a crush.”

“What?”

“Everyone knows that, when you have a crush on someone, you want to make out with them.” He placed his hands behind his head and leaned back in confidence, “That’s just a fact. It’s scientifically proven.”

“No, it isn’t-,”

“Look it up.” Akira snapped a finger gun at him. The rest of the boys nodded to one another in agreement as Senkuu furrowed his brows.

“Then…why didn’t you just say that to begin with! Why did you make me do that stupid imagination exercise!”

“Because, it was hilarious. And I genuinely enjoy messing with you.” Akira then winked at him and snapped him two finger guns. And once again, the rest of the guys smiled and nodded to one another. Even Taiju.

Two days later, he was sitting in math class beside Tatako when she handed him a note. He looked down at it, then at her, then shook his head. She frowned and shoved it at him. He shook his head again, and she nodded. They continuously went back and forth for a moment before she grabbed his hand and literally shoved it into his hand. He sighed, and with much annoyance he opened it.

_Do you have a crush on the science club teacher?_

He crumpled up the note in anger, then uncrumpled it and in large, angry letters wrote:

_NO_

He then shoved it with great prejudice at Tatako. A minute went by and he hoped beyond hope that that was the end of it.

But of course it wasn’t.

That would be too easy.

Tatako shoved another note at him, and he opened it as he ground his teeth.

_Do you have a crush on anyone?_

He grabbed his pen and tore each line into the note as he wrote out:

_NO, I DON’T D:<_

Once again, he shoved the note back to Tatako. Another minute passed, and already he knew another note was coming. Whoever was screwing with him certainly had a death wish…

Tatako smiled as she gave him another note.

_Would you be interested in dating someone?_

He then quickly tore into the paper with rage.

_I don’t know who you are, but I _will _find you, and I _will_ kill you._

Then he drew a picture of him shoving a stick figure into a container of boiling acid. With satisfaction, he handed the note to Tatako, and off it went.

A minute went by, and then another, and thankfully the note passing had stopped. He smiled proudly to himself before Tatako leaned in towards him.

“I didn’t realize you were such a prissy princess.” She whispered. But he just gave her an annoyed look. “Lots of people are saying you have a crush on the science club teacher-,”

“Then a lot of people are dead wrong.” He whispered back. She grinned at him.

“You don’t have to be embarrassed. I know someone else who has a crush on her.”

“Good for them. I don’t. End of sentence.”

“Are you sure you don’t have a crush on her?”

“Of course, I’m sure!” He whispered angrily.

“Have you even _had_ a crush before? Maybe you have one, but you don’t even know it.”

“I-,” But then he stopped. Well…that was…ok, she got him there. He had never actually had a crush. But, Miyuki had told him it was like an illness, and then there was Akira. “Someone told me you only have a crush on someone if you want to make out with them, which I _don’t_.”

“What? Who told you that?” She whispered.

“Akira-,”

“You’re seriously listening to something Akira said? He’s an idiot. He used a calculator for 8+2.”

“…You have a point.” Senkuu mumbled.

“Listen, there’s a fool proof way to know. Just close your eyes and imagine-,”

“What is _with_ you people and making me _imagine_ things!” He said a bit more loudly than needed. She shushed him before continuing.

“Just close your eyes!” Senkuu rolled his eyes before closing them. He’d do it, but he wouldn’t enjoy it.

“Good. Now, imagine the science club teacher-,”

“What movie are we watching-,”

“Shut up! You’re not supposed to talk!” She whispered angrily. He grinned at her but kept his eyes closed. “Ok. So, you have an image of her in your head.”

“Yeah.”

“Ok. Now, imagine you two are doing something really fun. Something you enjoy.”

_Talking about geology- no wait…geology memes._

“Ok.”

“Good. How happy are you?”

“Happy enough.”

“Ok. Now, imagine you’re hanging out with some other friend. How happy are you?”

“…Still pretty happy-,”

“But are you happier with your friend or with the science club teacher?”

“I don’t know-,”

“Do you think about her when you’re with other people?” Tatako asked.

“Sometimes…?” He said as he opened his eyes.

“And when you’re not with her, do you wish you were hanging out with her?” She asked. Senkuu paused for a long moment before he spoke.

“I’m not sure.”

“Well, sounds like you probably have a crush.” Tatako shrugged, “You’re just in denial.” Senkuu frowned

“How does any of that mean I have a crush?”

“Easy. You know you have a crush on someone when they’re your favourite person and you’d rather spend time with them than other people. You also think about them all the time.”

“But…that’s not what-,”

“That’s just facts, Senkuu. That’s the science of it.”

“I _seriously_ doubt that.” He said. She shrugged again.

“Look it up. You’ll see-,”

“Tatako.” The teacher said. She suddenly looked up at the board.

“Yes, sir?”

“Can you give me the answer to this question?” He asked as he pointed at the board. It took only a moment for her to read it before she calculated the answer.

“186.” She said, and the teacher frowned slightly.

“That…is correct.” He said as he eyed her and Senkuu before going back to the lesson. The two teens grinned at one another.

Thankfully, after that, Tatako left him alone. But the experience left Senkuu with questions. A LOT of questions. And what was the best thing to do when he had questions? Extensive research, of course.

_I’m going to need to go to the library and supermarket sometime…_

It was the end of the day and Byakuya had just arrived home. He was tired from his usual classes. Teaching a hall of 200 students (and marking their papers) was rough, but seeing as he taught 4 courses, it sometimes felt impossible. Senkuu had always offered to mark half of the papers for him, but Byakuya had always refused because there was just something morally wrong with letting his 13-year-old mark the physics papers of university students.

But today…today he was _this_ close to giving in. Hell, Senkuu knew the formulas. And he had to do the marking for a 101 class. Why couldn’t Senkuu mark them? It would be like having a teaching assistant.

_But I would be murdered if anyone ever found out._

“Ugghhh…” He groaned as he walked up the stairs of their apartment building. He enjoyed being a professor, but some days were just…too much.

“I’m home.” He sighed as he opened the door and took off his shoes. The apartment was quiet, which probably meant Senkuu was holed up in his room reading something. Byakuya closed the door and walked inside. “Senkuu! Let’s go out to eat! I’m not in the mood for…dishes…” He trailed off as he looked into the living room. The coffee table had all sorts of books on it (nothing unusual), and when he walked over to look at them, he came up to the couch that had it’s back to him. He then looked down to see Senkuu laying down, covered with magazines and reading one with an intense expression.

And normally, even that wouldn’t be too weird. What was weird is that they were all teenage magazines. And most of them were geared towards girls.

Byakuya put his bag down before looking at Senkuu again.

“Hey, buddy.”

“Hey.” Senkuu said as he continued to read.

“…So…what’cha reading?”

“I’m doing research.”

“Ok…” Byakuya nodded slowly, “You, uh, researching cosmetics again?”

“No.”

“Oh.” Byakuya waited a moment, “You…researching fashion trends?”

“No.”

“Huh…you trying to find the right colour to compliment your eyes?”

“No!” Senkuu said as he put the magazine down, “And I already know it’s green and neutral colours like grey.”

“Then, mind telling me what you’re researching?” Byakuya asked. Senkuu looked at him, then at the various magazines before picking up the one he was reading again.

“I’m trying to understand the symptoms of romantic feelings as well as what causes them.” He said simply. Byakuya nodded slowly before he leaned on the top of the couch.

“And how’s that working out for you?”

“It’s terrible! These magazines don’t give any information on such subject. All they talk about is dating and asking someone out and physical things.” He waved the magazine around, “There’s nothing about how romantic feelings are developed, how one knows if they have them, and how to get rid of them.” He rolled his eyes, “They’re hardly worth the paper they’re printed on.”

“I see.” Byakuya nodded again, “So, you’re trying to determine if you have a crush on someone-,”

“I didn’t say it was for _me_-,”

“Don’t beat around the bush. It’s not like you to skirt around the truth.” Senkuu opened his mouth, then closed it and let out a huff. “So, who do you think you have a crush on?”

“It’s not _me_, it’s everyone _else_. Everyone thinks I have a crush on the volunteer teacher- but I don’t- or…I don’t think I do.” He sighed, “I don’t know. I keep getting conflicting information, and no one is willing to give me valid sources for their information.” Byakuya nodded again.

“And why do they think you have a crush.”

“Tatako said a person has a crush if they think about an individual all the time, but then Akira said you only have a crush on someone if you want to make out with them.”

“And what did Taiju think?” Byakuya asked, and Senkuu scoffed.

“Though Taiju is a formidable ally, he’s also rather simple. When I asked him how he knew he had a crush on Yuzuriha, he said he just knows.”

“I see…” Byakuya leaned more on the couch and looked down at his son, “And what do _you_ think?”

“I think this is a giant waste of _time_. I think I enjoy talking to my volunteer teacher because we have mutual interests, and she’s a very interesting person. I think she’s pretty cool.”

“And what do you feel?”

“Feel?” Senkuu narrowed his eyes, “I don’t know what I _feel_. That’s the problem! I’m not familiar with analyzing _feelings_. I don’t know how to properly describe them. They’re just this…noise in the back of my mind that I generally ignore.” Byakuya waited a moment before speaking.

“Do you want to know what I think?” He asked, and his son looked up at him with tired eyes.

“Please.”

“I think both your friends are right.” Senkuu opened his mouth to speak, but Byakuya spoke first, “And wrong.” His son stared at him for a long moment before he sat up.

“What the hell does THAT mean?!”

“It means,” Byakuya sighed, “That they’re right in their own sense.” Senkuu went to talk again, but Byakuya held up his hand and continued, “A crush is a different thing to different people. Sure, there might be a lot of common ‘symptoms’ and ideas, but what someone else considers a crush might not be what _you_ consider a crush.”

“…I’m not here for a philosophical lecture.” Senkuu said plainly.

“I’m not being philosophical. I’m telling you like it is. Most people you’re age probably feel a crush is when you want to be physically closer to someone and you obsess over them. But it’s not like that for everyone.” He nodded to his son, “Maybe you don’t want to be physically closer to someone right now. Or ever. And maybe you’re not the type to get swept up by feelings of obsession.” He shrugged, “Maybe a crush for you is just being really fond of someone. Or just feeling happy around a certain person. _Or_, maybe you’ll just _never_ have a crush on someone.” He tapped the couch lightly, “There are people out there who prefer to just have close friends rather than a partner. And there are people who grow up not wanting a partner, but they happen to meet the right person and suddenly they do. Or they don’t. It all depends on the person. My point is, the only person who can know if you have a crush is _you_.” He said as he pointed at him, “Other people can’t tell you how or what you feel.” He stood up, “And, at the end of the day, even if you _do_ have a crush, you don’t have to do anything about it. Lots of people have feelings that come and go. But we’re human. We’re not slaves to our instincts. If you have feelings, you don’t _have_ to act on them.” Senkuu stared up at his father.

“So…you’ve basically told me nothing.”

“I’ve told you that only you know what you feel.” He paused to think for a moment, “And when you do recognize your feelings, don’t just act on them because that’s what people say you should do.” He crossed his arms, “I remember your father once told me, ‘the heart is treacherous’. And yeah…he was right. I can’t tell you the number of times I acted on feelings before using my head.” Byakuya grinned and shook his head, “I mean, it was fun, but _really_ stupid.” He chuckled and Senkuu continued to stare up at him. There was a long pause before the boy spoke.

“What if I never get married?” He asked suddenly. Byakuya looked down at him.

“Then, you don’t get married. But don’t think you can just mooch off me for the rest of your life. I actually _would_ like a wife, and you’re not going to be living with us when you’re 40 and single.” He grinned, but Senkuu maintained a neutral expression.

“And what if I don’t have children?” He asked. Byakuya shrugged. “Don’t you want grandchildren?” Senkuu looked up at the ceiling, “I know Taiju’s grandmother talked to him about when he’s older it’ll be his responsibility to carry on the family name.” He looked back at his father, “Don’t people normally care about that kind of thing?” There was a long pause before Byakuya suddenly broke into a smile.

“I don’t know how to tell you this, but you’re adopted.” Senkuu rolled his eyes before his father continued, “So, I mean if we’re getting all traditional, any kids you have will carry on your father’s genes, not mine.”

“But they’d have your last name-,”

“Name, shname. I don’t care about that kind of thing.” Byakuya waved him off, “I’m more worried about you creating a designer baby before you’re ready for the real thing. With the way you talk about CRISPR, I’m just waiting for you to bust into the room to tell me you’ve created the perfect human being, and now _I_ have to raise it.” Senkuu looked at him before breaking out into a grin and laughing.

“As if I would trust _you_ to raise my genetically superior offspring.”

“I think I’ve done a pretty good job of raising you!”

“That was a fluke.” He chuckled, “Talking about it makes it seem like some kind of 3rd rate television show.”

“Two idiots and a genetically modified baby.” Byakuya nodded, “I’d watch that.”

“More like one idiot, one genius and one modified baby-,”

“You don’t have to call me a genius, Senkuu. I was going to pay for dinner anyway.” Byakuya then laughed as Senkuu hopped up and swatted him with a magazine. “Ok! Ok!” He then backed up out of the way, “I’m going to get changed, then we can head out.”

“Ok.” Senkuu said happily. He looked at his father and smiled. “Thanks, dad.” Byakuya paused before he leaned over and (violently) rubbed Senkuu’s head.

“Ooooh! You don’t have to get mushy on me!-,”

“STOP IT!”

“You used to be SOOO CUTE-,”

“I’M SERIOUS, STOP!” Senkuu hollered as he slapped his father away. But Byakuya just laughed before heading off to get changed. Senkuu huffed and tried to fix his hair before going to grab his jacket.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I used to hate it when my friends would get all up in my face like 'do you have a crush? I think you do. Do you?' and I'd be like 'leave me alone D:'  
I've enjoyed writing Andrea. She's a pretty cool character. I wish I was more like her (badass, strong, able to put the fear of god into creepy guys). 
> 
> What did you think of the chapter? Please let me know! I love feedback. Also, was Senkuu too OOC at times? Let me know. I try to keep him in character, but it can be hard sometimes...
> 
> Thanks guys! Have a good evening :D <3


	5. Age 13 (June to late July)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is part 2 of 'Age 13'. If you haven't read 'Age 13 (April to June)' then go read it, or you'll be SUPER confused.
> 
> Stuff happens. Intense stuff. I promise this will be the last chapter I make super intense stuff happen to Senkuu (poor kid). Also, I feel I shouldn't have to say this, but just in case, Andrea (the teacher) does NOT have romantic feelings for Senkuu. He's just a kid. If anything, it's a little maternal. You'll see.
> 
> As for Senkuu, I wanted to leave his feelings up to interpretation. Does he have a crush? Does he just look up to her? Who knows!
> 
> What is love? Baby don't hurt me, don't hurt me, no more.
> 
> Enjoy the story! :)

A week went by, and then another, and then another. Senkuu continued to have exciting conversations with the volunteer teacher, despite the giggles and comments from his peers. And he learned more about her. He learned she was born in Mexico but spent time in America before moving to Japan with her family. He learned she had gone spelunking all over the world and that she had explored all sorts of caves. He also learned she wanted to lead tours in caves and around mountains when she was finished school. She even told him she’d take him cave exploring with her friends when he was a bit older.

And she read his papers and gave him feedback. And he was thrilled because she didn’t just say they were nice or interesting, she actually gave constructive criticism. He was over the moon when she handed him back a research report that was covered in red ink- it was filled with comments and suggestions from her (and her professor!).

Yes, despite the whispers of his classmates (and the confusion over his own feelings), he was enjoying the school year and science club. Yet, except for the time he saw her at the 7/11, he never saw her outside of school. That was, until one day he was at the Diver City Toyko Plaza.

He was in the mall walking by the chocolate store when he saw her again.

“Come on! Chocolates are great! She’ll love ‘em!”

He looked towards the familiar voice, and sure enough, there was Andrea-sensei. She was shoving a small bag of chocolates into the hands of the tallest foreigner Senkuu had ever seen. Not to mention the guy had the reddest hair Senkuu had ever seen.

_Dear god, is that colour even _real?

“Andrea, I’m serious. I’m not buying anyone chocolate. It’s embarrassing.”

“Come on!” She chuckled cunningly, “Girls love chocolate! Just shove them in her bag with a note or something-,”

“I’m serious! People are looking! Just drop it, ok?” The man pleaded. Senkuu watched them and, again, debated if he should interfere. On one hand, the last time he interfered things got weird and Andrea got kind of mad at him. On the other hand, they had become more and more like friends, so it didn’t seem like a breach in social protocol if he said hello.

“Hey, sensei.” Senkuu called out. Andrea looked over to him and grinned.

“Hey! Ishigami!” She said happily. A much different reaction from last time…

The man looked over at him and blushed slightly while Senkuu walked up to them.

“Hey.” He nodded to the tall man.

“Uh, hi.” The man said. They looked at one another for a moment, “Oh! Right!” The man fumbled with the chocolates in his hands, then slapped his hands to his sides and gave a low bow. “Hello! It’s nice to meet you!” He stumbled in Japanese. Andrea broke out laughing as Senkuu broke into a large grin.

“I appreciate the compliment, but you really shouldn’t bow so low to someone younger than you.” Senkuu struck out his hand, “Besides, I know westerners like shaking hands.” The man stood up again (he was _so tall_) and took Senkuu’s hand.

“Right! Sorry. I’m still learning.” He shook his hand with a firm grip, “My name is Chris McDermitt. I’m from Canada. I’ve been learning Japanese for 4 years. I’m a student at the university-,”

“Chris, this isn’t school. You don’t have to tell him your life story.” Andrea chuckled. Chris blushed again.

“Right. Sorry.”

“My name is Senkuu Ishigami. I’m from Japan, and I’ve been learning English since it was forced upon me-,” Senkuu said in the foreign tongue before he was interrupted.

“Wow! You speak English?”

“Chris, I told you, lots of people speak English here. It isn’t some secret language, you know.”

“Your English is really _good!_” Chris said happily and he continued to shake Senkuu’s hand (which was getting sore).

“Thanks. Your Japanese isn’t too bad either.”

“Thanks. Living here has helped. And Andrea helps a lot too. You know, she’s half Japanese.” Chris smiled.

“Yes, she told me.” They continued to shake hands, “Can I have my hand back?”

“What? Oh! Sorry.” Chris let go of his hand.

“You’re really acting weird today.” Andrea said to her…friend? Classmate? Boyfriend?

“Yeah,” Chris sighed, “I haven’t slept in over 40 hours. I have a big paper I’ve been writing.” Andrea looked to Senkuu and smiled.

“You’ll get a kick out of this.” She said to Senkuu before she looked to Chris again, “Tell him what you’re majoring in.”

“Chemistry.” He looked at Senkuu, “I’m a chemical engineer.”

Immediately Senkuu’s eyes lit up and a large smile broke out onto his face.

“Really?! What year are you in?” He asked.

“Uh…my 4th year-,”

“What kind of classes are you taking? What are you writing your paper on? Can I read it? I’ve been doing an experiment on hydrochloric acid- could you look at my notes? I keep getting stuck at this one part-,” Senkuu said in English as he opened up his backpack and began digging around for his notebook.

“…I haven’t slept for over 40 hours…” Chris sighed as he turned to Andrea, “Have mercy on me.”

“Ishigami is the kid I’ve been telling you about. The one who’s way past his grade. Trust me, you’ll get a kick out of his research notes.” Senkuu pulled out his notebook, flipped to the right page and shoved it at Chris. Chris fumbled with it for a second before lifting it up (and up and up) for him to read. He read it for a moment before his eyebrows shot up.

“You’ve been doing this? These are _your_ notes?” He asked as he looked down (and down and down) at Senkuu. Senkuu nodded enthusiastically. Chris flipped the page, “Where did you even get these materials-,”

“I made them-,”

“You _made_ them?!”

“I think we should find a place to sit.” Andrea said with a smile.

They made their way to the food court before Chris bought them all drinks (in which Senkuu argued he had his own money, but Chris said it was his duty as the oldest, and Andrea said she didn’t care as long as she didn’t have to pay). They then spent an hour talking as Senkuu delved into the complexities of his latest experiment while Chris made comments and followed along (Andrea mostly watched in amusement). And when Senkuu would get stuck on a certain part, Chris would calmly reason out the solution so Senkuu could take notes. It was thrilling. And the best part was, it was like talking to Andrea. Because Chris didn’t talk down to him or treat him like some dumb kid. The man seemed impressed by his thirst for knowledge and generously gave any advice he could.

And in turn, Senkuu listened to Chris’ gentle rants about his professors.

“So, my substitute prof kept going on about how we had to clean the barrel that mixed the different chemical compounds together. And I tried explaining that we couldn’t just clean it EVERY TIME we used it because 1, we always use the same chemicals, so it isn’t like there is cross contamination, 2, there aren’t enough barrels for the whole lab, 3, the only way to clean them is to soak them in ACID for 3 HOURS, and 4-,”

“You’d be exposing the product to contamination if you kept moving them to a different room to clean the barrels.”

“Exactly! But he said, ‘You just need to use soap and water to clean them’. To which I said-,”

“You need to use hydrochloric acid. Soap and water doesn’t work-,” Senkuu interrupted.

“AND he said it was fine because it would only expose the product to the air of the cleaning facility-,”

“Which doesn’t make sense because the contaminants in the air are from whatever is being cleaned in the facility- which would contaminate the product- which would then ruin it.”

“YES.”

“As much as I’m enjoying this conversation…” Andrea suddenly said as she looked down at her watch, “I actually have to head out. I’ve got a paper of my own I need to work on.”

“Oh! Oh, right. Sorry.” Chris said.

“You don’t have to be sorry.” Senkuu said as he stood up.

“It’s a reflex of his. He’s the stereotype of Canada.”

“…sorry.” Chris mumbled as Andrea snickered. The three got up and moved out of the mall and towards the train station. 

They were just outside the station when Andrea stopped.

“Well, I’m headed south.” Andrea said as she put her hands in her pockets, “It was nice talking to you today, Ishigami. Be sure to get home safe.”

“I will.” Senkuu nodded. Meanwhile, Chris looked back and forth between the two. Senkuu watched him look back and forth continuously before he rose his brow at his teacher. Andrea smiled.

“Chris is such a gentleman that he can’t tell who he should escort home.” She grinned. Chris blushed slightly.

“Well, I mean, I want to make sure you both get home safe-,”

“I’ll be fine. I take the subway all the time.” Senkuu said.

“Yeah, but you’re just a kid-,”

“I’m 13. I’m old enough to take the subway on my own. Besides,” He nodded towards Andrea, “Aren’t gentlemen supposed to walk women home?” He asked.

“Yeah, Chris normally walks me home- even though we both know I’m better in a fight.” Andrea chuckled. Chris then looked back and forth between them again.

“Just walk her home-,”

“Nah, Chris, you should see Ishigami home. That way you two can talk more about chemistry and stuff.” Andrea grinned, “I bet Senkuu would get a kick out of it.”

“But-,” Chris began, but she held up her hand.

“I’ll be fine. I can take care of myself.” She adjusted her bag, “You two have fun.” She nodded to Senkuu, “Try not to get his brain too worked up. He seriously needs to sleep when he gets home.”

“Will do.” Senkuu said with a nod.

“Alright. I’ll see you later.” She turned and began to walk off, “Peace!”

The two watched her go into the station and out of sight. Chris sighed slightly, then looked down at Senkuu.

“Well, looks like it’s just you and me.” He said with a smile. Senkuu grinned at his new friend and nodded. In all honesty, he really didn’t need Chris to walk him home. He walked around on his own all the time. But the extra time picking the man’s brain was just too good of an opportunity to pass up, so he allowed Chris to follow him along as they went into the station and took a short train ride headed east.

They continued to talk about Chris’ research paper as they traveled along.

Eventually, they got off and began making their way down the busy streets into calmer ones. The two discussed past chemical experiments, school projects and personal discoveries.

“Yeah, people don’t read cleaning labels enough to appreciate the dangers of mixing chemicals together.” Chris said.

“I know! After the whole ‘self chloroform’ incident, I had another classmate almost mix vinegar and bleach to clean a stain on her shirt.”

“Mm. Yeah, any weak acid to bleach will create toxic chlorin gas.”

“Yeah! I basically had to slap the vinegar out of her hand before she poured it into the bleach bottle.”

“People don’t realize how easy it is to get hurt with simple chemicals.” Chris sighed, “In high school, we were doing an experiment to test sulfuric acid and water, and some of the guys were fooling around. They dropped, what they thought to be, a vial of water, but it was actually acid. It got all over this one guy’s arm. He got a nasty burn from it.”

“Ugh. I keep telling my classmates about lab safety- you’d be surprised how often they forget which chemicals they’re working with.”

“I know,” Chris smiled, “Andrea was telling me how she has to keep telling one guy to quit fooling around.”

“Yeah, Andrea-sensei is a good teacher.” Senkuu said. Chris blushed and nodded.

“Yeah…she really is something else.” They walked in silence as Senkuu looked over Chris’ happy expression. He mauled over his thoughts for a moment.

“Is that why you have a crush on her?” He asked. Chris’ smile disappeared as his face turned beet red. He looked down at Senkuu.

“What? How do you know I have a crush on her?” He squawked. Senkuu shrugged.

“It was kind of a shot in the dark.” Senkuu looked up at him, “Anyway, how do you know you have a crush on her? What are your symptoms?” Chris frowned at him and paused for only a moment.

“I don’t have a crush on her. I love her.” He said. Senkuu stopped walking all together for a moment as he looked up in surprise.

“You _love _her?” He asked in confusion.

“Yeah.”

“…What’s the difference-,”

“There’s a huge difference.” Chris sighed.

“Not really.”

“Yeah, there is.” They stood still, staring at one another until Chris began to walk again. Senkuu quickly caught up.

“The two words are basically the same.”

“No, they’re not. A crush is something purely emotional. Love is emotional _and_ logical.”

“Love isn’t logical.” Senkuu scoffed, “It’s the most _illogical_ thing I can think of.”

“No-listen, it’s not. You’re saying that because you’re young. But love actually _is_ logical. That’s how you know it’s love- because you use your head and your heart.” Senkuu looked up at him with extreme skepticism, “You’re probably familiar with a crush, right? I mean, a bunch of kids your age are getting them, right?”

“Yeah…”

“Yeah. And what’s that like?” Chris asked. Senkuu paused.

“Insanity.”

“Exactly. A crush is…it’s fiery and intense. It’s like an explosion. It comes out of no where, is incredibly intense, and then burns itself out just as quickly. But love…love is…it’s like…” Chris sighed as he crossed his arms and tried to think, “It lasts a long time, and it’s warm, but it can still hurt…”

“You’ve lost me.” Senkuu scratched his ear, “Are we still talking about emotions or combustion?”

“Ok. I’ll put it this way,” Chris looked down at Senkuu, “Think about a gas, solid and liquid.”

“Ok.”

“Which of the three would burn hot, bright and fast.”

“I mean, it depends on the substance but, technically, a gas would. A solid and liquid have something for the fire to keep eating, but a gas gets consumed and then dies.”

“Right. Now, think of gasoline vapor. If I pour gasoline liquid all over the ground, then let it sit there for a minute before igniting it, what will happen?”

“You’ll have a huge explosion- which you’d be in the middle of, unless you somehow lit it by remote control from a distance.”

“Yeah. It’s big and hot and causes a lot of damage. Now think of _sawdust_. Imagine a sawmill on an extremely hot, dry day. There’s light coming through the glass windows, and sawdust is hanging in the air. What happens?”

“Spontaneous combustion. With the right conditions, something would burn a bit of the sawdust in the air, which would then turn into a massive explosion. But I thought we were talking about gases?”

“Just work with me. Now, how long would the blast last?”

“The blast itself is instant. Afterwards, everything would probably be on fire-,”

“Describe the explosion.”

“Large, hot, violent…it’d kill anyone inside the sawmill for sure.”

“Exactly.” Chris said, “Now, think about charcoal. How long does it burn?”

“…It depends. What type?” Senkuu asked.

“We’re in Japan, so Binchotan.”

“Roughly 3-5 hours.”

“Right. And is it hot?”

“I mean, hot enough.”

“Right. But it burns for a _long_ time, especially compared to a sawdust explosion. It’s not as violent or deafening, but it’s still hot and gets the job done.”

“Ok…”

“Ok. So, think of it like that. A crush is like a sawdust explosion, while love is like burning binchotan charcoal.” Chris said. Senkuu slowed his walking as his eyes widened.

A crush was the emotional equivalent of spontaneous combustion? Well, that made sense. The rate at which his classmates developed crushes and then got over them was astoundingly fast. And they certainly acted like an explosion.

“So then, love is like a constant, reliable heat source.” Senkuu said slowly.

“Exactly.” Chris nodded, “It’s something that can outlast other things. And when it burns out, it burns out slowly.”

“But, I still don’t understand how love is logical.” Senkuu said as he looked up to his new friend, “I’ve seen people make _really_ bad decisions because they were in love.”

“That’s because people were letting their emotions get away from them.” Chris shook his head, “I’m not saying love _makes_ you logical. You can be illogical and in love. But love _is_ logical in that, you can explain it. You can observe it.” Chris readjusted his bag, “I love Andrea because she’s so passionate about everything. She’s so…lively and energetic. But I also know what I don’t like about her. Sometimes she can be too brash, or annoying. And sometimes she acts on her heart instead of her head, which gets her into trouble.” He smiled, “But even then, I still love her. That’s just a part of what makes her who she is. Love is logical because you see the things you don’t like, you observe them, but you decide you can live with them.”

“Hm.” Senkuu said, “So…It’s logical because you can observe it.”

“Right. And you can describe it.”

“So…it’s not as emotional?”

“It is, it’s just…it’s logical and emotional.”

“So…with the logic and observation…if you see that things aren’t going well, you can stop being in love.”

“No.” Chris said. Senkuu sighed in frustration.

“You’ve lost me again.”

“Your head and your heart work together, but sometimes your heart just kind of…still wants to do its own thing.” Senkuu gave him an unamused expression and Chris laughed, “If I could fully control it, I would. I’ve been in love with Andrea for 7 years-,”

“7 YEARS?!” Senkuu almost screamed. Chris jumped at the sudden noise. “What are you- how is _that logical_?! How can you- 7 _years?!_”

“I can’t help it.” Chris chuckled.

“How can you- This is making _even less sense._” Senkuu groaned as he rubbed his face.

“Look. You won’t understand it until you experience it. For now, just…don’t worry about it. It’s not like you’re in love.”

“No, I’m _not,_ and I pray to _god_ I never will be.” Senkuu snarked. Chris chuckled again. They continued to walk as a small silence settled between them. Chris seemed to be in a good mood, while Senkuu just tried to wrap his head around the conversation.

7 years…

7 _years…_

“Don’t people usually do something by 7 years? Like…date or move on or something?”

“Yeah, you’d think.” Chris sighed. Senkuu looked up at him to continue, in which Chris sighed again, “I asked Andrea about it once, and she rejected me. So…here I am.”

“So, get over it.”

“It’s not that easy.”

“Sure, it is. Just…do it.” Senkuu said. Chris grinned.

“Oh, well, I didn’t think about that. Thanks.” He then shook his head, “It’s not like I _want_ to feel this way anymore. I’ve been trying to move on for years. But it’s just…it’s hard. We’re good friends, so we see each other a lot. And she just…she’s so cool.”

“You sound like one of my classmates.” Senkuu mumbled.

“I know, I do sound like a 13-year-old.” Chris sighed again as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

“So, just say something again. Or, deal with it somehow.” Senkuu nodded up at him, “It’s like a sickness, right? Isn’t there some sort of cure for that?”

“I’ve thought of it but…I don’t want to bother her.” Chris shrugged with a smile, “When you really care about someone, you just want them to be happy. And that’s all I want for her. If she’s happy, I’m happy. So, I just…leave it alone.”

“And what about when she gets a boyfriend and gets married?”

“Then I’ll support her. All I can do is help her out along the way. And hopefully, eventually, I’ll get over her.” Chris sighed. Senkuu scrunched up his face.

“Ugh. Love sounds horrible. Why put yourself through all that trouble when there’s better things to do? Don’t you have school to focus on?”

“I told you. I don’t _want_ to be like this. I just _am_. And I do the best I can. I don’t really reflect on why I love her or daydream about her. I just leave things how they are.”

“That is…madness.”

“That is Sparta.” Senkuu whipped his head up to look at Chris, who gave him a triumphant smile. The two then broke out laughing, and any tension was immediately eased.

Two days later, Andrea-sensei had some exciting news.

“I’m going on an expedition to the Aoiwa cave next week.” She told the class. The different students looked at one another. “I’ll be going with my class to do research on the formation of stalagmites and their impact on the ecosystem of a cave.”

“How long will you be gone?” A student asked.

“Only a few days, so I’ll be taking next week off. But I expect to see results from you guys when I get back.” She said with a grin. A few of the students chuckled, and they got on with science club. At the end, while the different students were saying goodbye and leaving, Senkuu went up to his friend.

“Researching stalagmites, huh?” He asked her as she was tidying up some papers. She looked over at him and smiled.

“Sure am.”

“Don’t we already know a lot about stalagmites?” He said and she chuckled.

“Yeah. That’s why it’s a university class trip. The real research happens after you graduate.”

“Any chance I could come?” He suddenly asked. She stopped tidying her papers to look at him.

“What? Fat chance, kid. Your dad would have to sign all sorts of legal paperwork to get you in.”

“He’s a quick writer.” Senkuu shrugged.

“AND, I’d be held responsible if anything happened to you.” She grinned, “No offense, but I don’t think you’d last long hiking around a cave.” Senkuu grinned back.

“Now you’re just being insulting.” They both chuckled.

“Seriously though, you can’t go.”

“Why not? I’m smart enough, and I know how to be safe-,”

“You’re just too young, Senkuu.” She said as she shook her head, and he frowned.

“What does age have to do with it?”

“In these situations?” She looked up at him, “A lot.” He frowned further, and she shook her head. “Sorry, but it’s a no. There’s no way you can come.”

“…I thought you said you’d take me cave exploring when I was older.”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I’m technically older-,”

“I meant _years_, not _months._” She said with a laugh as she rolled her eyes. He crossed his arms as he tried to think of a way to convince her.

“…What if they were under the assumption I _was _older-,”

“I’m not botching any legal paperwork either. Besides, they all know about you by now, and they all know your 13.”

“Damn.” He hissed under his breath. She smiled.

“Just be patient. One day, you’ll get to do stuff like this. For now, you just have to be content with what you have.”

“Which isn’t much.” He said with a slight pout. She chuckled and reached out to pat his shoulder.

“Try to have fun next week. I promise I’ll come back with lots of stories and pictures.”

“…Fine…” He mumbled and she laughed again. She then picked up her papers and bag.

“I’ll see you the week after next, alright?”

“Yeah, sure.” He sighed as she waved at him and left the room.

Left behind just because of his age. How utterly annoying.

A week passed without a single word from Andrea-sensei. Not that she emailed him a lot, but he expected at least a picture or two of her expedition. And then the next Monday came, and she wasn’t at science club. He had waited an entire, agonizing week for her, and she didn’t even show up. Where was she? What happened? After school, Senkuu rode the subway south as he gazed out the window at the passing buildings. Things just kept getting more and more complicated. During her entire week of absence, he didn’t realize how much he looked forward to talking to her until she was gone. And thus, his thoughts kept drifting back to her. What would she think about this? What would her opinion be on that? And then he’d find some interesting information, but he couldn’t share it with her.

He kept wondering how her trip went. Did she discover anything? How long did they explore the cave? How deep did they go? He couldn’t get his mind off it- and it got worse when she didn’t come that day. Was she sick? Did she catch a cold from being in the cold, damp caves? He felt obligated to buy some oranges and drop them off at her place, but he didn’t know if that was because he was worried she was sick or because he was just so curious to know what happened.

He really hoped she took pictures like she promised.

He got off the subway and took a left to get to the blacksmith’s place. He was doing his final tests on magma. He had gotten most of the data he needed, so he was almost done with the experiment. And already he was planning a new one. One that would involve going to the blacksmith again…

_Is that because I want to do a certain experiment, or because I want to run into Andrea again?_

He rubbed his face. He just didn’t know. And it was really beginning to tick him off.

He walked past the 7/11 and the bakery he liked to go to. He had felt so sure after talking to Chris that he didn’t have a crush. After all, the things he felt weren’t anything like spontaneous combustion. But then, his classmates left him doubting again. And they just wouldn’t relent. He had other things to focus on, but it felt like once he got back into the zone they’d interrupt with some stupid observation.

It was past the point of annoyance. It was _beyond_ annoying. If he wanted to leave his emotions be, then why couldn’t he? It’s not like it truly mattered what he felt in the end. After all, it wouldn’t bear any fruit. Whether he had a crush or not brought about no consequences because it wouldn’t lead to any action.

Though he still really, _really_ hoped he didn’t have a crush.

It was quite the conundrum.

“Well, if it isn’t my favourite Japanese schoolboy.” Senkuu popped out of his thoughts and looked ahead to where a familiar man stood. He was leaning against a lamp post and smoking a cigarette. Though he was at a bit of a distance, Senkuu immediately recognized the voice and accent.

“Hello…” Senkuu said, trailing off because he honestly couldn’t remember the man’s name. He knew it was the guy who was bugging Andrea at the 7/11, but what was his name again? Matt? Mike? It was some Western name.

“Hey, Senkuu-chan, right?” The man grinned. Senkuu walked closer.

“It’s Ishigami. What’s your name again?”

“Mark.”

“What’s your last name-,”

“Call me Mark, kid.” The man said. Senkuu frowned slightly. He didn’t like giving the man the impression they were close in any way. “So, what are you doin’ here?”

“I’m on my way to the blacksmith.” He said simply. He doubted Mark was interested in his experiments. “What are you doing?” He asked as he looked around. There weren’t many shops in the area. It was mostly houses and apartment buildings.

“Just relaxing. I’m waiting for someone.”

“That’s great.” Senkuu said dryly, “Well, I’m going to go-,”

“You going to see Andrea after?” Mark asked as he took a drag of his cigarette. Senkuu wrinkled his nose.

“No.”

“You go to her place a lot?”

“No- I just said I wasn’t going.”

“But do you go to her place a lot?”

“Huh. I didn’t know smoking made people go deaf. Interesting.” Senkuu scratched his ear, “No, I don’t go to her place _ever_. I’m her _student_. I don’t see her after school hours.”

“Then why were you getting all chummy at the mall.” Mark asked as he looked at the building across the way.

“What? When?” Senkuu blinked, “You mean…two weeks ago? I ran into her and her friend. We talked about chemistry. How would you- what, were you there?” But Mark just looked at him with a cool expression while he took another drag from his cigarette. He blew the smoke in Senkuu’s direction, but Senkuu remained unfazed. There was a moment of silence before he spoke. “You know, if you’re trying to intimidate me, it’s not going to work.” He gave him a bored look, “I’m not particularly scared of men who purposely weaken their bodies and increase their odds of lung cancer.” He looked off for a moment, “Depending on how much you smoke a day, I could probably outrun you.” Senkuu looked back at him, “And that’s pretty sad.”

Mark narrowed his eyes, but other than that didn’t react. He then looked up across the street again. Senkuu followed his eyes to the apartment building across the way. It wasn’t a very large apartment building, maybe 6 floors at most. Most of the windows had the curtains closed, so one couldn’t see inside. But there were a few that showed a little of the apartment (not that he could really see at the angle he was at). The top left apartment had a man watering his patio flowers, while another had a woman leaning against the railing and talking on the phone. Senkuu scanned the different apartments. What was he looking at?

And then someone with beautiful brown curls walked by the window. And she stood there for a moment, talking to someone.

Andrea.

Senkuu whipped his head around to look at Mark, who had been staring at him the whole time. But Mark didn’t look embarrassed or angry at being found out. Instead, he smiled playfully, his expression…something Senkuu didn’t recognize.

“You see something you like?” Mark asked in a smooth voice.

“Is this Andrea-sensei’s apartment?” Senkuu asked, and immediately he regretted it. Stupid question. It obviously was. There was no point having Mark admit he was watching her.

Mark smiled further and Senkuu felt himself go a little cold. He took a breath. He didn’t want to say something stupid again. He had to think over his words carefully. It felt like Mark was playing a game with him.

A game Senkuu wasn’t familiar with.

“Andrea is a very beautiful woman. You think so too, right?” Mark asked. Senkuu crossed his arms.

“She’s ok, I guess. I don’t really care for such things.” He tried to say casually. “Is that why you’re here? You think she’s pretty?” Senkuu grinned, “I’m pretty sure watching people is illegal.”

“I’m just standing here. Nothing illegal about that.” Mark took a deep breath of his cigarette before blowing it out slowly, “I could say something about you. You think I believe you’re actually going to a ‘blacksmith’ or whatever-,”

“I’ve been going there for 3 years. _Long_ before I ever met Andrea-sensei-,”

“You must really like her, huh?” Mark said as he narrowed his eyes. Senkuu frowned, his façade cracking slightly. Not because Mark had asked him the same question his classmates had asked him. No, that was irrelevant. It was the _way_ Mark asked it. It was the _way_ Mark was looking at him. It was as if…

Senkuu couldn’t come to a satisfying conclusion. He wasn’t familiar with this kind of situation. He was used to his classmates accusing him and each other of crushes and feelings and whatever, but this felt like it was miles ahead of what he was used to. And most of all, he could tell Mark was playing with him. Senkuu had to say the right things if he wanted to walk away unscratched. But what was this game? What were the rules?

He steadied his body and tried to calm his racing heart. He let out a breath.

“I’m not-,”

“You hot for teacher, or what-,”

“She’s my _sensei_.” Senkuu said, trying to shake it off with a chuckle, “That’s super gross, dude.” But Mark just continued to smile, knowing full well he was winning.

“I can tell. I know you-,” And then the words that came out of Mark’s mouth were so disgusting, so…_vulgar_, that Senkuu- a boy well versed in biology and not squeamish to anything- blushed. He blushed a deep, deep red. He never heard anyone say _those words_ in _that order_ before.

Mark laughed as he threw down his used cigarette and crushed it under his heel.

“That’s what I thought.” He said as he came up to Senkuu, “Listen, kid. How about you go on home to your mommy and daddy and leave the playing to the grown ups.” Mark playfully (mockingly) hit Senkuu’s cheek, “Ok?”

Senkuu stood still, his mind still trying to process what he just heard. But when Mark lightly hit him, it knocked some sense back into him. Think. What should he do-

_Leave_

But he couldn’t leave. After what Mark said, he couldn’t just let the man continue to watch his teacher. He had to do something. He had

_Leave_

He couldn’t listen to his gut right now. He had to take action. He had to

_LEAVE_

But it was humiliating to

_LEAVE_. _RIGHT NOW._

Senkuu chuckled awkwardly and looked away.

“Yeah, whatever.” He mumbled as he turned and quickly walked away.

“I don’t expect to see you around here again, kid. I don’t think I have to say what will happen if I do.” Mark called out, but Senkuu continued to quickly walk away. His heart hammered in his chest as his sweaty hands grasped at the straps of his bag.

And his face burned. It burned from shock, embarrassment, shame and humiliation.

Later that night, he sat at the kitchen table and tried to finish his book report. It was hard enough writing book reports (they were so incredibly _dull_), but on top of that he was worried about his teacher. As soon as he had left Mark and gotten a safe distance away, he had texted Chris about the encounter. He didn’t have his teacher’s phone number, and he hesitated to email her because he didn’t know when she’d read it (and honestly, he didn’t quite know what to say). Chris had immediately called him, and the two discussed what Mark had said.

“Ok. I texted Andrea to stay inside before I called you. I’ll call her now and we’ll talk about what to do.” Chris had said, “Thanks for telling me.”

“Well, I mean, it’s the obvious thing to do.”

“Don’t worry about Andrea, ok? She can take care of herself. If anything, I’ll have to hold her back from killing the guy.” Chris sighed, “Hopefully she hasn’t already beaten him up.”

“I’m pretty sure he’d deserve it.”

“Even still…” There was a pause, “Ok. I’m going to call Andera now. Don’t you worry about this, ok? I’ll take it from here. You just worry about school and stuff.”

“…Ok.” Senkuu had said. And then Chris hung up.

Now, Senkuu was sitting at the table trying to do his book report while also reasoning with himself. Chris didn’t need to keep him updated. It was fine that he hadn’t texted Senkuu in a while.

“What’s eating you?” Byakuya asked as he suddenly sat down at the table, a glass of beer in his hand. Senkuu looked up at him.

“Nothing.”

“You haven’t complained about your book report all evening. By now, you’d be on a rant about how this is a huge waste of time because people don’t make book reports in real life.” He nodded towards Senkuu’s laptop, “Plus, you haven’t written anything for a while. As much as you hate these things, once you get your head down you can usually pump them out in an hour or so.” Byakuya took a sip of his beer, “So, what’s up?”

Senkuu looked down at his laptop, sighed slightly (in defeat) and closed it.

“…I ran into this really weird guy today.” He said. Byakuya nodded but remained silent. “I’ve met him before- he was the guy who was bothering Andrea-sensei a while ago.” Senkuu crossed his arms, “He was acting really… strange. First of all, he was just standing outside her apartment building watching her window.” Byakuya frowned but remained silent, “Then, when he called me over, he started asking me really weird questions and saying some really messed up stuff.”

“Like what?” Senkuu then repeated what Mark had said, and immediately Byakuya narrowed his eyes. “He said that to you?”

“Yeah. It was just...nonsensical.” Senkuu said as he tried to shrug it off.

“What did you do?”

“I left. Then I called her friend, and he said he’d take care of it.” Senkuu looked at his phone, “I was hoping he’d update me on what was going on…but I guess everything’s fine. No news is good news, as they say.” Byakuya sat in silence a moment before he spoke.

“Senkuu, I don’t want you to talk to that man again-,”

“I didn’t plan to-,”

“But if you see him again, don’t engage with him. He doesn’t seem like the type to listen to reason.”

“Yeah.”

“And it sounds like he has issues if he would say those kinds of things to a 13-year-old.”

“Yeah, I figured.”

“You probably met him on the way to the blacksmith today, right?” Senkuu nodded, “Then, maybe it’d be best if you didn’t go there for a while.” Byakuya said. Senkuu frowned.

“I’m not going to let some idiot get in the way of my experiments.”

“I’m not saying you have to. I’m saying, maybe take a break on the experiments with the blacksmith for a bit. Focus on things…a little closer to home.” He said. Senkuu continued to frown.

“Isn’t that just letting him get his way?”

“Would you rather risk the chance of running into him again? He doesn’t sound like the kind of man to let you walk by.” Senkuu waited a moment before he looked down at his laptop. Byakuya tapped the table. “Just…stay nearby, for the time being. Until things get sorted out.” He took a sip of his beer, “And if he tries to contact you, or if you see him again, I want you to tell me right away.”

“Yeah, yeah…” Senkuu said as he rolled his eyes.

“I’m serious, Senkuu. Promise me you’ll tell me.”

“I promise.” Senkuu said with a sigh. Byakuya smiled.

“Alright. Good.” He stood up, “Well, I’m going to watch some TV. Come join me when you’re finished torturing yourself with homework.” Senkuu groaned painfully before Byakuya walked by and rubbed his hair.

“Hey! Watch the hair!” He barked, but his father just laughed and walked away.

The next day, Senkuu went to school and tried not to think about his teacher, her expedition, or the trouble she was in. Instead, he focused on what his new project would be. He always wanted to test the healing rate of tree oil on open wounds and compare it to the healing rate of stitches, but that would require him (or someone else) to be seriously wounded. He could use an animal, but he felt…weird about it. Not that he had a problem with animal testing- it was something he frequently did. However, violently assaulting an animal just seemed…well, he knew Taiju would give him hell for it.

Perhaps he could simulate an open wound in some other way. He couldn’t do it on dead flesh- he needed blood flow and living cells to use the oil to heal…

He pondered over his options right until the lunch bell rang, and even then he took a moment to gather his conclusions.

Living flesh…how could he use living flesh without assaulting something _living_?

“Ishigami, Andrea-sensei is looking for you.” Someone said. Senkuu blinked and looked around before he saw her standing just outside the classroom door. He got up and went to her, ignoring the whispers and giggles along the way.

“Ishigami, hey.”

“Hey, sensei.” He said.

“How are you? You ok?”

“I was going to ask you the same thing.” Senkuu said as he leaned against the door frame.

“Me? I’m fine. I’m more worried about you. Chris told me you ran into Mark yesterday.” She frowned, “And he told me what Mark said to you.” Senkuu felt his ears get hot, but other than that he didn’t react.

“Yeah, it was weird.” He said with a shrug.

“It wasn’t _weird_, it was seriously _inappropriate._” She crossed her arms, “He shouldn’t have said something like that to you. It’s borderline harassment.” She said, but Senkuu just shrugged in response. “Anyway, I hope he didn’t freak you out too much.”

“Nah. He was trying to act intimidating, but it wasn’t really working.” He nodded to her, “Anyway, what happened afterwards?”

“Oh. Well, after Chris texted me to stay inside, I looked outside and saw Mark standing there.”

“So, you waited for Chris-san?”

“No. I went outside and threatened to smash Mark’s teeth into his skull if he didn’t back the hell off.” Senkuu blinked at her, then grinned.

“Impressive. Though, I think you should have waited for backup-,”

“Nah,” She said as she waved him off, “Chris is a lanky pacifist. He’d be totally useless in a fight. Besides, I had my girls watching from the apartment with the police on speed dial.” She smiled, “If he tried anything, we’d take him down.”

“It still sounds unsafe-,”

“Well,” she shrugged, “I take care of myself. I’m not the kind of woman to wait around for some guy to rescue her.” She uncrossed her arms, “Anyway, it’s fine now. Mark split after I threatened him, so he should be gone. And I’m going to report him if I see him again.” She pointed at him, “For now, I just wanted to make sure you were ok. And you don’t have to worry about me.”

“Clearly.” He said. She smiled, and then there was a pause between them. Different students walked by as the two stared at one another. The grin on Senkuu’s face grew larger. “That isn’t the real reason you’re here, is it?” Andrea’s smile grew.

“I mean, yeah, I wanted to check on you, but seriously you’ve got to check this out.” She whipped out her phone from her pocket and brought up a few pictures. “Check out how big these stalagmites are!” Senkuu snatched her phone and stared in awe at the picture. In the picture, Andrea was standing beside a massive stalagmite (one that almost reached the ceiling).

“Incredible!” He said. He swiped the screen to a new picture full of dozens on pillars. “Cool…” He swiped to look at a few more pictures, each as exciting as the last. “I wish I could have gone…”

“Yeah. You would have really liked it. But hey, if you go into geology, maybe your class will have a similar expedition.” She said. Senkuu remained silent as he studied the photos. “Anyway, I got some rock samples if you wanna-,”

“I’ll grab my lunch!” Senkuu shoved the phone back at her and raced inside to get his lunch box. Taiju stood beside Senkuu’s table with his own lunch.

“Hey Senkuu-,”

“Can’t talk. Andrea-sensei has samples from the cave.” He said as he quickly grabbed his stuff. Taiju just smiled and waved at him.

“Uh, ok! Have fun!” He said happily as Senkuu booked it out of the room. Andrea laughed as he stopped in front of her.

“It’s ok, dude. The samples aren’t going anywhere.”

“Yes, but we only have an hour for you to tell me everything and let me examine them.” He said quickly as he began to walk to the teachers lounge.

“Gotta love that enthusiasm.” She chuckled as she caught up with him. They spent the rest of the lunch hour talking and geeking out over rocks and precious stones.

By the end of the day, Senkuu was feeling pretty good. Andrea-sensei had taken excellent pictures of her expedition, and the samples she brought back were very interesting. She also had exciting stories to tell of her head lamp going out and almost getting lost at a wrong turn. He smiled as he thought about it. Cave exploring really was fascinating. Maybe he could convince Byakuya to take him to one that was open to the public. He had never done _real_ spelunking before.

He switched his shoes and made his way out of the school and towards the front gate. Taiju was busy with baseball practice, so Senkuu would be on his own this afternoon. No matter. He still had to wrap his head around testing the healing properties of oil…

Or maybe he should just do another experiment all together?

Maybe something to do with rocks…something that would force Byakuya to take him spelunking.

Senkuu pondered over different ideas as he walked towards the gate. Different students passed him and stood in his way as they talked and made their way home. He moved around a group of second years when he saw him.

Mark. He was leaning against the school gate talking to a couple of girls. They giggled and blushed as he gave them a flashy smile.

Senkuu stopped walking.

_Don’t confront him._

_Use a different exit._

_Turn around._

_Get a teacher._

Different thoughts popped into his head as he tried to think quickly. First things first, get out of sight. Senkuu quickly moved to the side and behind some trees. Next- to confront or not.

_There are too many people for him to try something._

_But he has the perfect opportunity to follow me home._

_Why would he follow me home? He’s not here for me._

That’s right. Mark wouldn’t hunt Senkuu down to his school. He didn’t seem to hate him that much. No, if this was the kind of guy to stalk a girl to her apartment, then surely he’d stalk her to work.

_I have to tell Andrea-sensei._

Without a second thought, he quickly made his way back to the building. But with every step, his uneasiness grew. What if Mark saw him? He should take a different entrance-

_But this is the closest entrance to her office._

_But if I get seen-_

_I don’t have time_

He moved inside and tore off his outdoor shoes. He moved to open his locker, but with his heartbeat increasing by the second, he decided it wasted too much time. He had to tell Andrea-sensei or, just, someone. He had to get a teacher.

He moved into the hallway when the hairs on the back of his neck rose. He tried to steady his breathing as he quickly walked to the office. And then he sped up.

He could feel someone watching him. Someone following him. As he sped up, the other sped up too.

_Nobody’s following you, idiot!_

But his gut told him to go faster and faster. Soon he was racing down the empty hallway. He ran so fast that he slid past her office and stumbled to get back to it as his socks refused to make enough friction with the ground. Finally, he grabbed the door and swung it open.

“Andrea-sensei! Mark is-,” He stopped as four teachers stared at him in surprise. And then he felt like a complete and utter fool. What was he doing? Running down the hall in his socks like some maniac? Mark wasn’t a killer. He wasn’t even that dangerous. He was just some creep who wouldn’t leave someone alone.

Senkuu had no reason to act the way he was. He was being completely over dramatic.

“Mark what?” Andrea asked as she sat up from a nearby chair.

“He, uh…” Senkuu felt a bit humiliated as he tried to get the words out, “I saw him…at the gate.”

“Ishigami, where are your shoes?” His chemistry teacher asked. Senkuu looked down at himself, and then back at the teacher. “Uh…I forgot.”

“You’re old enough to know the dress code-,”

“Call the police.” Andrea said to her co-worker as she moved towards the door.

“What?” The man asked.

“Tell them there’s an intruder on school grounds.” She came up to Senkuu and put a hand on his shoulder. “Thank you. Stay in here while I deal with this.” She then moved pass him and into the hallway-

“Andrea.” Senkuu whipped his head to the side, and there he was. Not 5 meters away was Mark, just _standing_ there. Senkuu’s heart sped up again. So, he _had_ been following him. And Senkuu had led him straight to Andrea.

“Mark.” Andrea said cooly as she walked towards him. He looked around and smiled.

“So, this is where you work, huh? Not bad. I bet you’d be making some good cash if they actually hired you-,”

“Get out.” She said simply as she stopped a few feet in front of him.

“You don’t have to be so cold-,”

“Leave.” She growled. He looked at her, then looked at Senkuu and smiled.

“Well, look who it is. What are you doing here after school hours?” He said with a grin, “I thought you-,” Andrea immediately stepped between him and Senkuu.

“Mark, look at me.” Mark looked back at her, “I’m talking to you. This is between us. What are you doing here?” She asked. Mark put his hands in his pockets.

“Well, you wouldn’t return my texts or calls. I wanted to check on you-,”

“That’s because I’ve blocked your number- along with the three other numbers you’ve used to contact me.”

“If you would just _talk_ to me-,” He said, but she interrupted him again.

“I have nothing to _say_ to you. Whatever fantasy you have going on, forget it. I’m not interested in you. I was _never_ interested in you-,”

“Don’t say that-,”

“We never even went out. We never dated! I hardly _know_ you! One day we’re in a group project, and the next you’re stalking me to class. Get over it! Get out of here. Seriously!” She said angrily. He narrowed his eyes, then shook his head and frowned.

“You’re just…you’re being _hormonal_.”

“Don’t you pull that _hormonal_ crap on me! I’m not some hysterical woman. You’ve been _stalking_ me, and it ends _now_.” She pointed behind him, “Now _get out _of here! And don’t come BACK!”

“Don’t SAY THINGS like that!” Mark suddenly yelled. “You don’t- you just don’t GET it. I _LOVE_ you! I’ve always-,”

“We’ve known each other for a few months!” She got closer to him and stuck her finger in his face, “And don’t throw that LOVE garbage at me! One minute you text me you love me, and the next you tell me I’m an ugly, fat pig. Not to mention the _disgusting_ things you’ve emailed me-,”

“I was angry!” He grabbed her shoulders, “I’m sorry! You just- you can bring out the _worst_ in me.”

“You’re insane!” Andrea barked. The two then argued back and forth for a moment as Senkuu stood by, unsure of what to do. It was safer inside the teachers’ office, but he felt someone needed to watch Andrea’s back.

Not that he’d be much help if it _did_ come to a fight. Anything resembling a weapon he had was in his backpack (which he left by his locker). But as the situation continued, he felt more and more uneasy. It didn’t seem Mark could be reasoned with. He wasn’t making any sense. Didn’t Chris say love was logical? Then why was Mark acting like a nut case?

“This conversation is OVER!” Andrea yelled as she shoved Mark away. “Now GET OUT OF HERE! The police are on the way! And when they get here, I’m _reporting _you for trespassing!”

“You can’t report me!”

“The hell I _can’t!_” She took a threatening step forward, and Mark took one back. He looked at her, then suddenly looked at Senkuu again.

_Here we go…_

“It’s HIS fault! He TOOK YOU-,”

“EYES ON ME!” Andrea yelled as she shoved him again. He suddenly looked back at her, “He is a _child_! I’m not some SICKO like YOU! Don’t PERVERT his enthusiasm for geology! And don’t pervert MY wanting to NURTURE THAT enthusiasm!” She snarled as she shoved him again, “I told you to BACK OFF from my KIDS, Mark! Now get the HELL out of here!”

“Stop PUSHING me!” Mark barked as he shoved her back. Senkuu instinctively took a step forward but paused. He couldn’t get involved. He’d just distract Andrea. He could be used as some sort of hostage-

Mark took two steps towards Senkuu before Andrea cut him off.

“BACK OFF!”

“Get out of my WAY!” Mark yelled.

“You get any closer to my kid and I’ll END YOU!”

“Then DO IT!” Mark snarled as he gave her a violent shove. She stumbled for a moment, and in that moment he took a few more steps towards Senkuu. Every step Mark took forward, Senkuu took one back.

“MARK!” Andrea seethed as she blocked him again, “Get out of here or I SWEAR-,”

“Swear you’ll WHAT?! Hit me! You can’t hurt me! I’m bigger than you! I’m _stronger_ than you!” Mark yelled as he tried to shove her out of the way, “DON’T get in my WAY!”

“LEAVE, you LUNATIC!”

“He’s the reason you’re like this!” Mark snarled as he shoved her away again and flew towards Senkuu. Senkuu stumbled backwards as he kept his eyes dead on the man in front of him.

_Don’t get within arms reach. Stay calm._

_Think._

_Just stay calm._

Mark’s fingers just brushed Senkuu’s shirt before Andrea stepped in his way once more and pushed him away.

“STEP OFF!” She yelled. Mark grabbed her and she pushed away, and the two began to struggle.

“JUST LET ME-,”

“NO!” She said as she shoved his chest. But he held strong.

“ANDREA!” He barked.

“GET OUT OF HERE!” She screamed before pulling back her fist. But he was holding her too close, and he quickly shoved her away and grabbed her fist.

“I DON’T want to HURT YOU!” He cried out as she pulled her fist out of his hand and pulled back again.

“Well I REALLY want to hurt YOU!”

“You’re not THINKING RIGHT!” He said as he dodged her fist. But he didn’t account for her foot, which she brought up and kicked angrily into his stomach. He stumbled back as she stepped forward.

“Yeah, that’s RIGHT!” She said as she tried to punch him. But he side stepped her and grabbed her fist.

“LISTEN TO ME!” He yelled again, so she tried to punch him again. He blocked and shoved her, but she hardly stumbled as she went back in for another attack. She punched, he blocked, she tried to kick out his legs, but he side stepped again. And she punched again.

And this time she made contact.

Mark’s head whipped to the side as he stumbled back. Andrea took some heavy breaths as she glared at him and sneered. He then gently touched his face and looked down at his hand.

“Yeah, you better-,” She began, but was quickly silenced with his fist slamming into her face. He hit her so hard she flew to the side, smashed her head against the wall, and immediately fell down.

And then she went still.

“Sensei!” Senkuu cried out as he suddenly ran to her. But then he skidded to a halt and stared at Mark, who stared right back at him. He had to help Andrea. A hit like that couldn’t kill her, could it?

_Impossible, the speed his fist would have to move would have to be extraordinary. _

“You…” Mark said, and Senkuu immediately tensed. Mark stood in shock and awe, as if someone else had hit her. As if he was a victim in the whole thing.

_Stay calm_

“Look…Look what you MADE ME DO!” Mark screamed as he lunged at Senkuu. The boy stared with wide eyes as everything went into slow motion. What should he do?

_Stay calm. Think._

He couldn’t win in a fist fight. It was impossible. So, he had to outsmart him. But with what? The hallway was empty, and for whatever reason the teachers hadn’t come out to see what all the commotion was about.

_Stay calm_

What did he have on him? He had a pen, no, two pens. And his tie. Besides his clothes, that was it. It wasn’t much to work with.

_Stay calm_

As the milliseconds ticked by, he felt Mark’s large, hot hands reach towards his throat. Think. There were always options. There was always a way out.

_Stay calm_

Mark was going for his throat. Well, his tie would be useless. He couldn’t exactly use it with someone choking him. So, that left his pens. He could always stab Mark in the arm. But the force needed was something beyond Senkuu’s capability. Not to mention he would grow steadily weaker from the lack of oxygen.

_Stay calm_

He felt Marks’ hot, calloused hands come up and encircle his throat. Fine. If he couldn’t stab Mark’s arm, then he would have to attack his face. But would Senkuu’s arms be long enough? With his click pen, he wouldn’t be able to reach him. But his second pen had a lid. With the lid extension, he should have enough reach to get Mark’s face. And obviously, he would go for the eyes. At the very least Mark would have a physical reaction to something coming so close to his eye, and hopefully that would be enough to get free.

_Stay calm_

Millisecond after millisecond, he felt Mark’s thumbs against his windpipe. And millisecond and millisecond, Mark began to squeeze. He had a plan. As long as he focused on what to do and didn’t give into panic, he’d be fine.

_Stay calm_

And then time sped up again. Mark squeezed Senkuu’s neck as he screamed profanities at him. But Senkuu didn’t pay attention. He didn’t have time to be bothered with such things. Instead, he willed his hands not to fight back and grip Mark’s wrists. Instead, he pulled out his first pen from his pocket, clicked it, then pulled out the second pen and took off the cap. He applied the cap to the back of the first one, and then paused for just a second. He needed Mark to come a little closer. But Senkuu didn’t have seconds to spare. Within only ten he would probably go unconscious. So, Senkuu immediately stretched out his arm and slashed at Mark’s face. But all he did was scratch his cheek

_DAMN IT_

_Stay calm. Try again._

This time he slashed out and marked beside the man’s eye.

_SO CLOSE!_

_Stay calm. Keep trying_

The edges of his vision began to blur. Yet, he reached out again when he heard something roar, and the next moment he crumpled to the ground. Senkuu took in a breath before coughing it out violently. He tried to breath, but he continued to cough and gag. He leaned on his hands and knees as he tried desperately to force air into his lungs.

He couldn’t BREATH.

_One problem- no problem- one problem…_

He felt lightheaded and nauseous. He looked to the side and saw Andrea attacking Mark.

“I TOLD YOU NOT TO TOUCH MY KIDS!” She roared. Mark threw her off, but she sprung right back to attack him again.

“What is going ON OUT HERE?!” Someone yelled, and before he knew it there was a huge commotion. Someone ran to him and knelt beside him.

“Just breath, Ishigami. Breath. Take steady breaths.” The teacher said as he began to rub Senkuu’s back.

“I-can’t-,” Senkuu gasped as involuntary tears streamed down his face.

“Don’t talk. Just breath.” The teacher said. He looked over to see Mark being held back by two other teachers while a third tried to calm Andrea.

“You can’t kill him, Andrea!”

“THE HELL I CAN’T! HE ATTACKED MY STUDENT!”

“YOU’RE CRAZY!” Mark screamed as he fought against the two teachers. But they held him back. Seeing as the second was the gym teacher, Mark didn’t stand much of a chance.

Senkuu looked back at the floor. And finally, he took a little breath. He coughed and coughed, but soon he was breathing. He took in the sweet, sweet oxygen as the teacher continued to rub his back.

“Are you ok?” He asked, and Senkuu nodded.

“I-,” Senkuu croaked, but the teacher patted his back.

“Don’t talk, son. Just breath.”

Later, Senkuu found himself, once again, at the hospital. Which was troubling, because this was the second time he was in the hospital with a life threatening injury that year.

Andrea sat beside him, an ice pack held against the right side of her face. All things considered, she looked pretty good. Aside from the black eye, the cut on her lip, and the bruising he probably couldn’t see, she was doing alright. He sighed slightly as they sat in a private waiting area. The doctor had already checked him- there wasn’t any terrible damage done. His throat was red and swollen and he could hardly speak, but other than that he’d be ok. They just had to do some extra tests to make sure there wasn’t any real internal damage.

They sat in silence as a tv in the background droned on about the latest baseball results.

“You know-,” He croaked, and Andrea looked at him.

“Don’t talk. You’re still injured.”

“I’m finding a weird correlation-,”

“I’m serious. Stop.”

“Between-,” She then lightly put her hand over his mouth. He looked over at her stern expression and chuckled. He had wanted to say there was a weird correlation between making new friends and finding himself in life threatening situations, but it seemed she wasn’t having any of it. Honestly, he was just trying to make a joke to lighten the mood.

_Oh well._

They sat in silence once more as Andrea looked over at the television.

“Your dad should be here soon.” She said, more to the room than him, “That’ll be good.” Yet, she didn’t look happy.

Just then, someone ran by the open doorway. It took Senkuu a moment to register what he saw before the alarmingly tall person skidded back to the room.

“Andrea!” Chris gasped as he clung to the doorway.

“Oh. Hey Chris.” Andrea said calmly.

“I’ve- I’ve been looking _everywhere_ for you!” He gasped as he took in deep breaths.

“Well…I’ve been here.” She shrugged as she motioned to the room. “Not doing much-,”

“Are you ok?! Marwa said she saw a post on twitter about Mark being arrested, and I knew something happened, so I called your school-,”

“Calm down, Chris.”

“-And they told me you went to the hospital! But then I went to the wrong one!-,”

“You worry too much.” She said as she shook her head.

“So, I came here, and they said you were assaulted-,” Chris walked into the room and then, finally, noticed Senkuu, “What HAPPENED to YOU?!”

“Don’t yell.” Senkuu croaked.

“Don’t talk.” Andrea scolded.

“Wh-did someone CHOKE you?! Did Mark _choke_ you?! Oh my god!” Chris grabbed his hair, “I can’t believe he tried choking a kid! No one told me he tried to _kill_ someone!”

“Chris…cool your jets. Sit down.” Andrea tried again, but Chris looked back at her in panic.

“I can’t believe I let it get this far! I told you we should have had him arrested for stalking! I knew something bad was going to happen! I just-,” He then began shaking and sputtering as Andrea got up and reached up to hold his shoulder.

“Chris, it’s cool. Just breath. Everything’s fine.”

“Everything is NOT fine!”

“Shhhh. It’s cool, Chris. Just calm down. You’re not helping anyone by freaking out.” He looked at her, then at Senkuu, then back at her before taking shaky breaths. After a moment, he seemed to calm down a bit. “Better?” She asked, but he was quiet for a moment.

“…I should have done something.” He said, as if he were in pain. Andrea glanced over at Senkuu before nodding at Chris.

“Let’s talk in the hallway for a sec, ok?” She asked, and Chris nodded. The two quietly left the room and thus left Senkuu alone with the television. He sat there, not really thinking about much (he had a nasty headache) as the television droned on. And he sat there. And sat there.

And then, for some strange reason he couldn’t explain, he just had to go and see what they were talking about. It didn’t really make sense- why would he care what they said in private? What impact did it have on his life? It was strange, so he blamed it on not thinking clearly. So, he simply got up, walked to the door, and peeked around the corner. Chris and Andrea stood not too far away and off to the side, out of the way of the medical staff going by.

“We’re best friends, aren’t we? Isn’t that what you said?” Chris asked as he leaned down to speak quietly to her. She nodded. “Then why didn’t you tell me?”

“I was kind of busy in the ambulance.”

“You could have texted me. It would only have taken a second.”

“You’re not my mom.” She said, and he sighed.

“I’m…I wish you stopped trying to do everything yourself. It’s ok to ask for help.”

“But I don’t need help.”

“Yes, you do.” He gently placed his hands on her shoulders, “Just like you help me out. Don’t you remember when I first moved here? How lost I was?”

“Yeah.” She smiled, “You were a train wreck.”

“Yeah, I was. But you helped me out. This country is completely foreign to me, and at that time I didn’t know anyone else, but you helped me. You got me through the rough patches.”

“I still do.” She grinned.

“Yeah…you still do.” He said with a soft smile, “And that’s why you have to let me help out too.”

“But I didn’t need help with this-,”

“Yes, you did-,”

“I’m not some weak, little girl who needs to be bailed out all the time.” She said with a sharpness to her voice, “I can take care of myself.”

“I’m not _saying_ this because you’re a _woman_, Andrea. I’m _saying_ this because someone _attacked_ you today. Someone we both should have recognized was dangerous.” He squeezed her shoulders, “Just…let me help you. It’s hard to be close to you when you push me away.” A moment of silence came upon them, and Andrea looked away from his stare. She looked down at the floor, as if thinking of something to say. The seconds ticked by.

“I just…” She took in a light breath, “I should be strong enough-,”

“You are-,”

“But I wasn’t.” She immediately looked up at him again, “I wasn’t strong enough. Mark would have backed off if I was.” She clenched her teeth as her face become emotional for a moment, “He almost killed him.”

“I know.”

“He almost killed Senkuu. He almost killed a _child_.” Her lips quivered, but her eyes remained hard, “And I didn’t-,”

“Hey. Hey,” Chris leaned down to get closer to her, “You defended him. You did everything you could.”

“Which wasn’t enough.” She said, her voice wet.

“It was. Senkuu’s alive. He’ll be ok.”

“I need to be stronger-,”

“You’re the strongest woman I know.” He said before he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his chest, “You’re the strongest _person_ I know.” She shook lightly and muffled something into his shirt. “You did everything right.” He brushed her hair with his fingers as her hands lightly came up and grabbed his shirt.

And Senkuu felt something, but he didn’t understand it. Nor the situation playing out before him. Because, despite their public surroundings, it felt like the correspondence between them was incredibly intimate. Like it was something he shouldn’t be seeing.

And he felt cold. He didn’t understand it. He couldn’t comprehend it with his oxygen deprived brain. And he knew he should go sit down again and leave them be, but he just kept watching. Like there was some mystery before him that was slowly unfolding.

The two adults continued to hold one another before Andrea mumbled something else to her companion, and Chris sighed.

“You know why I’m here.” He brushed her hair again, “You know why I’m always here.” And he looked so serious, and happy, and _pained_, it was incomprehensible. It was indescribable, it was-

Chris looked up and immediately made eye contact with Senkuu, who quickly ducked back around the corner. He made his way back to his seat and sat down again. And he listened to the white noise as the television droned on. And he sat there. And he was confused, and cold. And he sat there.

Minutes went by before Andrea and Chris returned. They sat down, one on either side of Senkuu, before Chris spoke.

“So…how are you holding up?” He asked to Senkuu. The boy looked up at him with a plain expression before he shrugged. “Must have been a rough day, huh.” Senkuu looked back at the wall before him. He was too tired to think. “You…uh…wana tell me more about that thing with hydrochloric acid you have goin’ on?” He asked, and Senkuu slowly shook his head. There was a long pause before Andrea spoke.

“Chris, why don’t you get some drinks? Some juice or water would be nice.”

“Uh, yeah. Sure. Can do.” The lanky man quickly got up and left the room, which left Senkuu and Andrea alone.

Which, for some reason, Senkuu wasn’t overly thrilled about. They sat in silence before she spoke again.

“You ok?” She asked, and once again he shrugged. There was another pause. “I’m sorry.” He looked up at her with a raised brow and she gave a sad chuckle, “I mean, I already apologized for the thing with Mark- and I’ll keep apologizing about that. But what I mean is, I’m sorry about…” She trailed off before motioning with her hand. Senkuu continued to give her a weird, unamused look. She sighed before chuckling again, “I’m guessing you were watching Chris and I.” Senkuu looked back at the wall and away from her. “…listen, I-,”

“It’s none of my business, anyway.” Senkuu croaked with a shrug. She gave him a sad smile.

“Yeah…but still. I’m sorry you saw that.”

“Why?” He asked the wall.

“It must have been…weird for you.” He shrugged at her again. A long moment passed as the television droned on in the background. The PA system called for a doctor. A nurse pushed a cart by the door and down the hall. Andrea sighed. “I know you have a crush on me.” Senkuu suddenly looked up at her in surprise, and she just looked back with a gentle little smile. He blinked at her, then looked back at the wall. He blinked again. And he didn’t really think. He couldn’t think. His head was throbbing, and his throat burned from what little he did say. Then, he slowly looked back at her.

“Sensei…I _respect _you.” He said strongly in his cracked, broken voice. Because if there was one thing he knew for sure, it was that he _respected_ her. Her smile grew before she let out a gentle laugh.

“You…are just full of surprises, aren’t you?” She looked over at the wall, “That’s why you’re a good kid, Senkuu. I know you’re going places.” She nodded, “And I’m excited to see where life ends up taking you.” She chuckled under her breath, “And I gotta say, I respect you too.” And then, he felt a little warm again. Just a bit. And a small smile crept onto his face.

It was a nice little moment.

It was peaceful.

Before his father burst into the room.

“WHO _choked_ my SON?!” He yelled angrily, and just like that, it was over. And life was back to normal.

Or…as normal as it could be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I can't take credit for the whole, "I know you have a crush on me." "I respect you." scene. Those lines are taken from Steins;Gate (and amazing anime you should check out. It has science fiction and time travel and awesomeness). 
> 
> Also, this chapter ends on a happy note. It was going to end on a serious note, but I didn't know if I wanted to end it that way. In the alternative ending, Andrea has to stop their friendship because, you know, a teacher can't get too close to a student. But it was just so sad and serious...I don't know. Let me know if you didn't like this ending and I'll try adding the other one.
> 
> Also also, I've been thinking of writing a science fiction fanfic for Dr. Stone. Basically, Senkuu invents cross dimensional travel and meets different alternative selves of himself (and then they get into crazy adventures...which then get serious). Let me know if you'd be interested.
> 
> Let me know what you think! Was this chapter too OOC? Let me know. I love feedback.  
Have a good day guys! <3


	6. Age 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS LONG. It is SO LONG. It is 48 PAGES! So...take a break. It's ok. I won't be offended if you put this down for like...a few hours and take a nap and such. 
> 
> So...this is long because I wanted to try to establish the main female's personality. I just...I kept writing and she kept coming out as really...1 dimensional. So, let me know if she's still really plain. Hopefully, by the next chapter her personality will be set. 
> 
> Also, they talk about cadavers in this. A cadaver is a body that has been donated to science. I don't go into detail but...it's a thing. So...just get ready for that. Also, Senkuu gets trolled in this chapter- and I can't take credit for it. It's actually a thing that happened to this one researcher. I always found the story really funny xD  
Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

Age 14

Time went by as usual, and with it came the end of the year and the beginning of a new one. Now, he was 14. Yet another step closer to adulthood. Honestly, he was beginning to lose his patience. How long would all this take (ok, he knew that, legally, at 18, he was an adult, but it was kind of a rhetorical question).

Of course, he distracted himself and kept busy. He did research and tried to help out Byakuya with the whole ‘becoming an astronaut’ thing. He assisted Chris in some of his chemistry projects, and Andrea let him tag along when she and a group of her peers went on an ‘expedition’ (which was more like a hike into the mountain, which was exhausting- but honestly, at this point, Senkuu would take what he could get). He and Taiju also set up an underground fight club that involved modifying Roombas to fight each other (inspired by the Roomba knife fight meme). However, that was quickly shut down (since, apparently, forcing inanimate objects to fight to the ‘death’ was ‘morally upsetting’…not to mention the gambling was extremely frowned upon). And then Byakuya gave him a long lecture about ‘setting a good example’ and ‘respecting knives’ and ‘not setting up underground gambling rings’.

As if he needed a _second_ lecture about that.

Now, spring had come. It was still chilly, but the sun was warm, and the birds were beginning to sing. Yuzuriha said it sounded like the birds were welcoming the sun back from its long, long rest. Taiju said it was like they were announcing that warm weather was soon to come.

Of course, Senkuu corrected them that the birds were going insane with the urge to breed and were actually screeching out mating calls, but apparently that was much less romantic (so they decided they liked their own answers better).

Senkuu was on his way to the mall when he stopped to listen to a Black Faced Bunting. The little guy was singing his heart out, but Senkuu couldn’t directly locate him. He looked off to a nearby tree on the sidewalk, but he couldn’t exactly see the small bird. Senkuu took a few steps closer and narrowed his eyes. The bird just kept singing, over and over.

_Someone’s desperate._

He moved around slightly, trying to get a good look of the bird.

He was so focused he almost didn’t see someone waving at him across the street.

“Ishigami! Hey!” Someone shouted. Senkuu looked off to his left, where he saw Tatako waving and smiling like an idiot. He gave her a weird look, one that said, ‘What do you want? I’m busy trying to find a bird’. To which her smile said, ‘Get over here, I have a surprise for you’. And, seeing as all surprises from Tatako were _horrible_, Senkuu nodded and then quickly walked away. “HEY!” She yelled, but he walked faster.

_Like hell I’m going to fall into another one of your traps._

He came to a set of lights and waited as different cars drove in front of him. And in an instant, he realized:

If he couldn’t cross the street forward, that meant the left side of the street could cross to the right. Which was his side of the street. Which meant anyone on the opposite side of the street could cross-

_DAMN IT!_

He looked over and, sure enough, Tatako was jogging up to him while dragging some other girl along. He rolled his eyes and sighed.

“Hey! Ishigami-,”

“I’m busy.” He said as she came up to him.

“No, you’re not.”

“Actually, I am. I don’t have time to talk.” The light changed and he began to cross the street. Unfortunately, Tatako and her friend followed.

“Well, I think you’ll make the time.”

“I really-,” But she cut him off as she lightly pushed him off the busy part of the sidewalk and off to the side.

“Listen, my friend here wanted to say hi.” She smirked. Senkuu gave her friend one look and nodded to her.

“Hey.” He said before looking back at Tatako, “Can I go now?”

“Don’t be a sour puss.” She grinned before lightly elbowing her friend. Her friend looked at her, then at Senkuu, then sighed.

“Forget it, Tatako.” She said, “Let’s go.”

“I agree, go. I have to go too.” Senkuu said as he went to leave, but Tatako lightly (but forcefully) shoved him back.

“_Not_ before we _introduce_ ourselves.” She stressed to her friend before looking to Senkuu again, “Ishigami, I’m sure you’ve met my friend. She used to live around here before she moved away.”

“Fascinating.” He looked for only a second, “No, I don’t seem to recall who you are-,”

“I told you.” The girl muttered angrily to Tatako, but damn if Tatako wasn’t persistent.

“Oh, I think you _do_ remember her. Take a good look at her. It’ll just take a second.” She said, her cheerful demeanor hiding her (probably) evil intentions. Senkuu rolled his eyes before examining the new girl.

She had long, black hair that was tied in a braid behind her back. Two medium sized bangs hung on each side of her face while a few shorter bangs nearly covered her left eye. She had brown eyes, and a few acne scars on her face. Her school uniform was different than Tatako’s and consisted of a dark purple skirt, a dress shirt and a dark purple tie. As for her body, it was average- there were no notable ‘memorable’ features to her.

But her face did seem just a bit familiar. And the braid…

She avoided eye contact and obviously became uncomfortable under his stare. She then began to wiggle on the spot-

“Ayuk-,” Luckily, he caught himself, “Fukinawa?” He asked, mildly surprised. He thought he was wrong, because the girl sighed and looked away, but Tatako broke into a large grin.

“Good memory!” She said before elbowing her friend, “See! I told you he’d remember.”

“That’s great.” Fukinawa said as she crossed her arms, “So you were right. Can we go now?”

“What brings you back to the city? Last we spoke you were in the countryside.” Senkuu said as he leaned against the wall behind him. Fukinawa looked at him (in…apprehension?) before speaking.

“My cousin goes to university here. He offered to let me live with him if I helped out around the house. So…I’m here.” She shrugged awkwardly. “Anyway, I get your busy. So, we’ll go.”

“No way! You two should catch up!” Tatako beamed while Fukinawa frowned.

“No. Ishigami said he’s busy-,”

“I’m actually not. I just said that to avoid Tatako.” He said bluntly as Tatako nodded along.

“See? So, let’s go to a cafe and catch up.”

“I’d rather not…” Fukinawa mumbled.

“I actually was curious to know what happened to you.” Senkuu crossed his arms as he grinned, “The last time I talked to you, you were thinking of raising chickens.” He grinned further, “I was waiting for your research notes about a Totenko hen raising Chabo chicks and if she would take them on as her own. But you never got back to me.” He shrugged, “I assume you got too busy- which is fine.” He smiled, “I wouldn’t mind continuing the discussion now.” Fukinawa stared at Senkuu as Tatako looked back and forth between the two. The pause wasn’t too bad, but when it continued on and on, it began to get awkward. “Unless…you don’t want to?” He asked curiously, “Again, that’s fine. I understand if you moved on from your scientific pursuits- though, I must admit I would be disappointed.” But she just continued to stare at him. Tatako looked back and forth between them again before waving her hand in front of her friend’s face.

“Hey? Fukinawa? You there?” Ayuko then pushed Tatako’s hand out of the way.

“You stopped writing to me.” She said suddenly, “I know, because I kept your last letter.”

“I didn’t stop writing to you.” Senkuu said as he furrowed his brow, “I wrote to you twice, but you just stopped responding-,”

“No. No _you_ stopped responding.” She said, her shy, unsure demeanour suddenly gone, “I wrote to you about the results of my chickens, but you didn’t respond. I then sent you _three_ different letters asking if you were alright, but you stopped writing to me.” Senkuu uncrossed his arms and stepped off from the wall.

“Listen, I sent you a letter telling you to go ahead with your experiment, and that was it. I never received a single letter from you after that. I sent a second letter in case the first was lost, but you still didn’t write back. So, I just figured you got bored of the whole thing and moved on to new hobbies-,”

“I loved writing to you.” She said with determination, but she then began to look confused, “Why would I stop writing to you? You were the only one who really encouraged me to pursue a career in biology.”

“Yeah, I thought it was weird. You always seemed enthusiastic in your letters but…I don’t know.” He shrugged, “I just figured you were tired of my research notes. I know they’re not the most _exciting_ thing to the average person.”

“No, I liked reading your papers- even if I didn’t fully understand them. I kept them all…” She then sighed.

“…What?” Tatako asked.

“My dad threw them out.” She sighed again. Senkuu rose his eyebrows before lowering them into a neutral expression.

“I see your father is still a worthless luddite who trembles at the thought of female intelligence.”

“Why would your dad throw out your letters?” Tatako asked. Fukinawa crossed her arms awkwardly.

“He…uh…didn’t like Senkuu very much. Or his dad.” She looked off, “I brought the letters with me whenever I had to visit him because it gave me something to do. But when he found them, he threw a fit and threw them out.”

“Couldn’t you get them out of the trash?” Tatako asked again.

“No,” Fukinawa looked at her friend, “He threw them down the garbage shoot. When he fell asleep, I went to the apartment dumpster to look for them, but I couldn’t find them.”

“Awww…girl…” Tatako said before patting her friend’s shoulder, “That’s so sad. I’m sorry.”

“It’s ok.” She said sadly as she looked at the ground, “It was a while ago. I really liked those letters but…it’s fine.”

“I could just give you the photocopies.” Both of the girls looked up at Senkuu, who looked curiously at them, “It’s not a big deal. Though, I don’t know why you would like them _that_ much. They were just research notes. Unless you needed them for some sort of cross reference, they’d be useless after you read them-,”

“Don’t listen to him. He’s always been an idiot.” Tatako nodded as she continued to pat her friend’s shoulder.

“I’m _right_ here.”

“You have photocopies?” Fukinawa asked hopefully, “Of all our letters?”

“Sure,” He shrugged, “I kept photocopies in case something got lost in the mail. They’re not much use to me now, so I can just give them to you.”

“I’d…appreciate that.” She smiled at him, “Thanks.”

“No problem.”

“Great, you’ll give her photocopies. Now, let’s get something to snack on. Fukinawa and I were on our way to a café nearby. It’d be _swell_ if you could come.”

“Yeah, sure. Why not.” Senkuu grinned, “I have some time to spare.”

The three went to a local café and took a table by the window. After making their orders (with Tatako arguing that Senkuu should be a gentleman and pay for everything, and Senkuu arguing that she was being _sexist_), the three delved back into conversation.

“So, what have you been up to, Fukinawa?” Senkuu asked as he folded his hands on the table.

“Uh…you know. I just moved here, so I’m still unpacking.” She said (more to the table than to him).

“I hope you’re still pursuing a future in biology.”

“Yeah. I’m still interested in being a vet, but I’ve decided I want to be a zoo vet.” She said (and, like before, she suddenly seemed confident once more). Senkuu grinned.

“Ambitious. I like it.” His grin grew, “I trust you’ve been researching and preparing for such a career.”

“Yeah.” She nodded, “I’ve been trying to research all different animal types- not just mammals. At the moment, I’m learning about genetic diseases in reticulated pythons.”

“And I assume that involves more than just reading about it on Wikipedia.” He grinned, and she rose her brows slightly.

“I mean, I do research online, but I also volunteer at the zoo. One of the zoo staff members has been educating me on their reptiles.”

“Really?” His smile grew, “How did you manage that connection?”

“He’s the son of my uncle’s neighbour. He and my uncle were talking, and they arranged for me to work as a volunteer.” A gentle smile grew on her face, “Right now, I can only work with the reptiles because that’s his section, but I’m hoping that if I prove myself, they’ll let me volunteer with the other animals too.”

“Well, colour me impressed.” Senkuu said as he crossed his arms and leaned back, “I doubt just anyone can walk in and volunteer directly with the animals.” She blushed slightly, obviously not really used to compliments.

“I’m trying my best.” She mumbled before speaking up again, “Besides, you’re the one who taught me hands on experience was the best way to learn something. I would have just stuck to reading books if you hadn’t encouraged me to try experiments.”

“Well, I’m glad I could help.” He chuckled softly, “To be honest, I’m kind of proud. You were so hesitant to try your own experiments in the beginning that I was afraid you’d give up on things entirely. But you powered through, and here you are now.” He closed his eyes, “Not to mention the disapproval of your father, which, in itself, was a difficult test.”

“Yeah, speaking of your dad…about those letters,” Tatako interrupted. Senkuu looked back at her, having forgotten she was even at the table. “Something about the whole thing still confuses me.”

“And that is?” He asked.

“How did all your letters get lost in the mail? Was the postal service on strike at the time or something?” Senkuu waited for Ayuko to speak, but she instead stared at her friend, seemingly also confused. Senkuu gave them an odd look.

“Well, it’s pretty obvious. I thought you already figured it out.”

“Figured what out?” Tatako asked. Senkuu blinked at them.

“That it was Fukinawa’s dad-,”

“What?” Ayuko said, but Senkuu spoke over her.

“- obviously. He hated the fact that we were writing to each other, and he even went so far as to throw out all her letters out. He must have gotten a hold of her new letters and thrown them out before they were sent to me. And it would be easy enough to stop my letters- all he had to do was steal them before Fukinawa saw them.”

“But, I lived with my aunt and uncle. Dad didn’t live with me-,”

“Then maybe he got your aunt or uncle to do it. It’d be simple enough. All he had to do was tell them I was a bad influence or something. Or, he could have gotten a neighbour to go through your mail. Who knows? But stopping letter correspondence now a days is fairly simple.” The waitress came by with their drinks, and Senkuu waited as she gave them each their order. He grasped his own tea, but when he looked up, he was surprised by Ayuko’s expression. She looked…pained. “Are you surprised? You shouldn’t be.” He said bluntly.

“But…I told aunty how much I- how important your letters were. And when you stopped writing back…that was hard. She knew that was hard for me.” Ayuko looked at the table, confusion and hurt evident on her face. Senkuu watched in his own state of mild confusion.

“I mean…he was messed up enough to throw out your letters. To be honest, you really should have seen it coming.” Her shoulders sagged, and Tatako immediately glared at him. Clearly, he was not helping. “In the end, we’ve gotten back in touch. So, that’s all that really matters, right?”

“Yeah…I guess.” She said (clearly not convinced). Tatako patted her friend’s shoulder as Senkuu thought for a moment.

“Besides, his overall plan didn’t work. He wanted us to never speak again- yet, here we are.” He then had an idea, “Do you visit your dad?”

“Sometimes.”

“Well, maybe I should tag along sometime.” A dark grin pooled onto his face, “I’d love to see his reaction.”

“That’s a terrible idea.” She said, and yet a small smile grew on her face, “He’d lose his mind.”

“That’s why it’s a _great_ idea.” Senkuu crossed his arms and looked up in thought, “You shouldn’t even tell him I’m coming. Just sneak me in, then tell him to come to the living room, and BAM!” He hit the table, “There I am, dismantling his television.” His dark grin grew, “Or, maybe he walks into the bedroom and there I am, disposing of his cocaine-,”

“I told you, my dad doesn’t do cocaine.” Fukinawa interrupted. Senkuu looked at her.

“The only letter you sent directly from your father’s house had traces of cocaine on it. So, unless _your_ secretly addicted to coke…” Senkuu opened his hand and gestured at her, “Then it was your dad’s.”

“He’s _not_ addic-,”

“I’m sorry-,” Tatako interrupted, “You found _cocaine_ on one of her letters?”

“Yeah.” Senkuu nodded.

“…How did you find it?”

“I-,”

“Wouldn’t you have to specifically be testing the paper for drugs? Why were you doing a drug test on her letter?”

“Because I had a hunch.” He shrugged.

“And how do you even know _how_ to test for cocaine?” She then gawked at him. “Don’t tell me that time you said you were making hard drugs in your room you were being _serious_.”

“…I don’t have to answer that question-,”

“I thought you were _joking_.” Tatako said, “Don’t tell me you _actually_ made-,”

“Ok, listen, _first_ of all, what I do in the privacy of my room is _my_ business.” Senkuu said as he counted on his fingers, “_Second_ of all, I’m allowed to test my knowledge and skills to see if I can make high quality cocaine and crystal meth. _Third_ of all, it’s not like I _took_ the drugs or _sold_ them- I disposed of them after their creation.” He gestured at her, “No one got hurt, everything was fine and dealt with. Besides, that was two years ago.”

“A 12-year-old should NOT be making METH in his _room_.” Tatako argued, but Senkuu just scratched his ear and ignored her.

“Yeah, yeah. Dad already gave me the lecture on why producing hard drugs isn’t ‘morally right’.”

“It’s _dangerous_.”

“Listen,” Senkuu said as he crossed his arms behind his head, “You have _no idea_ what I’ve been doing this past year. Making meth in my room was like a _cake_ walk.”

“You really haven’t changed.” Fukinawa sighed as she shook her head.

“Nope. I just got taller.” He grinned as Tatako rolled her eyes.

“No, he just gets more _reckless_ with age. I _did_ tell you about his underground Fight Club, right?”

“No.” Fukinawa began to laugh as her face lit up.

“Ugh. It was _awful_-,”

“It was _brilliant, _and you _know_ it!” Senkuu said as he pointed his finger at her, “Do you have any idea how much money I made?”

“He literally turned the robotics club into an underground robot fighting ring.” Tatako said as she ignored him, “As soon as they voted Ishigami as their president, he set up the whole thing. They did it when the teacher left early for the day. And it wasn’t even the _robotics_ club. He had a bunch of kids from math club be the bookies while kids from other clubs would come in and place bets-,”

“It’s called ‘creating a community’, Tatako. Kids from all different age groups and clubs came together and became friends because of it. Clearly you- and the school board- have _no_ appreciation for creating a sense of unity-,”

“You created a _gambling ring!_” Tatako argued.

“A gambling ring that _brought people together_!” He argued back.

“At this point, I really shouldn’t be surprised.” Fukinawa sighed, “_You would_ pull off something that crazy.”

“You should have seen it, Fukinawa. It was beautiful. We had people teaming up to make the best Roomba fighters- and no one got hurt, so I don’t see what the big deal is.” He sighed happily, “It was beautiful- and extremely violent.”

“You’re insane.” Tatako said as she rolled her eyes.

“A work of art, really,” He went on, “Do you know how long it should take to set something like that up? It took us two days. In two days, we had half the school showing up. In four days, we had kids from other schools joining in.”

“I’m just happy the teachers found out and shut it down.” Tatako grumbled.

“Yeah, and it took them two months to figure it out. A lot happened in that time.” Senkuu nodded sadly, “We lost a lot of good Roomba’s that day.” He sighed, “I’ll forever remember the raid of February 27th.”

“Jeez…and that’s just the past few months.” Fukinawa smiled as she took a sip of her drink, “I’m looking forward to hearing what else you’ve gotten done since we last spoke.”

“Yeah, you’ve missed out on a lot, Fukinawa. But I’ll catch you up.” He nodded as he took a sip of his own drink, “And I’ll get you those photocopies too.”

“Thanks.” She said as she smiled into her drink, and Senkuu smiled a little too. And Tatako smiled, but for a completely different reason.

Two uneventful weeks went by. With Taiju constantly busy with baseball, it left Senkuu alone to do his experiments. Which was fine, but it did get a little…not lonely but…bothersome. It was hard to do certain things with just one person. He couldn’t ask his other peers for help since he honestly didn’t trust them enough to not screw something up. And, though he asked Andrea about helping out, she was still sticking to this really stupid rule about not hanging out ‘outside school hours’ in case ‘people got the wrong idea and reported her’.

Which was stupid.

Senkuu was in math class with Tatako when he brought it up with her.

“How good are you in biology?”

“Depends on the subject.” She said as she twirled her pencil around.

“The human body.” He said, and she stopped twirling her pencil for a moment before giving him a weird look.

“You’re not hitting on me, right?”

“What? No. Don’t be ridiculous-,”

“Good, because I’ve tried to make it crystal clear that I find you _incredibly_ unattractive-,”

“Yeah, I know-,”

“Like, I seriously question the mental state of people who _do_ find you attractive-,”

“Yeah. I get it-,”

“Like the fact that you wear a lab coat all the time. And you’re always wearing a tie. It’s so weird.” Senkuu let out a breath and simply stared at her, waiting for her to finish. “Like, who do you think you are? You’re acting like you’re a PHD student, but you’re just in junior high. Chill out. You don’t see me dressing like a business woman.” She stopped for a moment and he crossed his arms.

“Are you finished?”

“Also, your complete disregard of social rules disturbs me.” He waited again.

“Ok? Are you do-,”

“Sometimes I question if you’re just a really high functioning sociopath-,”

“You’re getting _extremely _off topic.”

“I know.” She grinned, and Senkuu rolled his eyes.

“I’ll ask again. Are you done? Can we get back to the conversation at hand?” He asked and she shrugged.

“Sure. Go for it.”

“Thank you.” He sighed before continuing, “Anyway, I wanted to ask if you have any skills when it comes to dissection.” Tatako hesitated.

“Didn’t you say this was about the human body?”

“Yeah.”

There was a pause between them.

“So…dissecting a human body? Is that what this is about?”

“Yeah.”

There was another pause.

“I’m…gonna pass-,”

“You don’t need to do any of the hard work. I basically just need you to hand me tools and maybe take samples-,”

“That’s a BIG no for me.”

“You don’t understand, this is a rare opportunity for people our age-,”

“_Whose_ body are you dissecting?”

“What? I don’t know.” Senkuu shrugged, “I didn’t ask for his name.”

“Yeah, I’m out. No thanks.” She put her pencil down, “I don’t dissect black market corpses-,”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Senkuu said as he rolled his eyes, “As if I’d buy a body on the black market.”

“You literally told me you bought something radioactive on the black market.”

“Hey,” He said as he pointed at her, “Buying the parts to build my own X-ray machine and buying a dead body are _completely_ different.”

“I’m still out.”

“Ugggh.” Senkuu groaned as he ran his fingers through his hair.

“Can’t you think of someone else?”

“I’ve tried everyone I can think of.” He said with a sigh. She then grinned.

“What about Ayuko?”

“What? No, I can’t ask her.” Senkuu closed his eyes, “We’ve hardly gotten to know one another. I don’t know if I can trust her to follow instructions.”

“Yeah, but she’s really into biology, right? I mean, she studies all this stuff about animals. She would probably be a better bet than me. Not to mention you were friends before, so you do kind of know each other.” Senkuu opened an eye to look at her. He waited a moment before he sighed.

“I guess you’re right. It wouldn’t hurt to ask.” He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, “What school does she go to again?”

“It’s nearby. Why don’t you just text her to meet you there?”

“Because what I’m doing isn’t exactly legal.” He looked down at his phone as he opened his GPS, “I can’t have any written evidence that I got involved.”

“…You have serious issues.”

Senkuu walked up to the unfamiliar school gate as different students passed him by. He stuck out due to his different uniform (which wasn’t even a school uniform, it was his science club uniform) but he honestly didn’t care. He never cared about such things. He turned to the first student that walked towards him.

“Hey. Where does the science club meet?” He asked bluntly. The student blinked at him before shrugging. Senkuu huffed and moved on before stopping another student and asking the same question.

“They meet on the second floor. I think its room 260 or something.”

“Thanks.” And then he was off, a vague destination in mind. He didn’t really know what he was going to say. He wasn’t really one to persuade people with speech. He would simply tell her what the experiment was, and if it interested her, then she’d help out. If not, then he’d move on.

He finally came up to the room in question and peeked inside. Sure enough, there were numerous students wearing lab coats and working with chemistry sets. He walked to the door and slid it open before making immediate eye contact with the teacher.

“Hey. I’m here to see Fukinawa Ayuko-,”

“What- outside students aren’t allowed here.” The teacher said as he furrowed his brows, “How did you get in here.” Senkuu shrugged.

“I walked.”

“Ishigami?” Senkuu looked over to see Fukinawa staring directly at him. She had goggles on and put down a glass vial before speaking again, “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here for you.” He crossed his arms, “I have a proposition for you-,”

“What? I’m- Ishigami, I’m in the middle of something.”

“What I have in store is _way_ more interesting than whatever you’re doing.” He grinned.

“I-,”

“Fukinawa, this club is for our students only. You can’t just invite your friends.” The teacher said as Ayuko took off her gloves and threw them out.

“I know. Sorry. I didn’t invite him.”

“Well, have your discussion outside. But he can’t come in here.”

“I understand. Sorry.” She said again as she walked up to him. Senkuu moved out of the way so she could pass before he closed the door behind her.

“What is this about? If you wanted to do something, why didn’t you text me?”

“I legally can’t, it’s-,”

“What?!”

“-a long story. Anyway,” His eyes lit up, “I have an opportunity to work with a cadaver, and I need someone to assist me.”

“A cadaver? What-where did you get a _cadaver_?!”

“See! You’re perfect! I don’t even need to explain what a cadaver is.” He grinned and motioned at the door, “Go get your stuff and we’ll get going.”

“What are you talking about? You can’t just show up at my school and tell me to go work on a _cadaver_ with you. Where is this coming from?” Senkuu frowned slightly.

“Does it matter? Just get your stuff.”

“No! Where did you even _get a cadaver? _Is that even _legal_?” She wiggled anxiously, “And what are we going to do? Dissect it?” She looked at him and he nodded.

“Uh, yeah. What else would I do with a dead body?”

“You’re insane.” She bluntly. But he just grinned again.

“Call me what you will. But I have the rare opportunity of dissecting a cadaver without being in university. Only a fool would pass up this chance-,”

“You didn’t even ask if I was _comfortable_ being _around_ a cadaver.”

“Are you?”

“…I guess-,”

“Then get your bag. We’re wasting daylight-,”

“Senk-Ishigami! I can’t just _pick up_ my stuff and _go_ with you.” She said sternly, to which he crossed his arms (as he was losing his patience).

“Why not? I thought you liked biology-,”

“I do-,”

“Then why would you pass up on this opportunity?”

“I just, I have plans!”

“Like what?” He asked immediately.

“Like…like I was thinking of visiting my dad.” She said, her voice immediately becoming softer. She brought her hands up and wrung them together, “I haven’t seen him in a while and…he said he might be home tonight. So, I thought, maybe I could see him…” She slowly looked up at Senkuu, who simply frowned at her.

“Why the _hell_ would you do _that_?” He asked, and immediately she got defensive.

“Because he’s my father!”

“Yeah, the same father who’s belittled you your whole life. The same guy who doesn’t remember your birthday, who threw out your letters, and went behind your back to prevent us from talking to each other.” Senkuu tilted his head, “Do you _honestly_ think he’s going to be home tonight? What do you think is going to happen? Based on his track record, he’s just never going to show up.” Senkuu uncrossed his arms, “_I,_ on the other hand, am _offering_ you a rare, scientific opportunity to further your knowledge of biology and how the human body works. _I _am offering a chance to see what university life is like- something I’m sure you hope to experience in the future. And _I’m_ not going to ditch you halfway through the night to get drunk with a hooker.” Fukinawa narrowed her eyes as him.

“You don’t have to be so harsh-,”

“I’m telling the _truth¸ _Fukinawa.” He said as he rolled his eyes, “Now, you decide. Do you want to go to your father’s house, where he’ll inevitably abandon you so he can go pass out at a strip club? _OR_ do you want to come with _me_ and dissect a dead body?” He crossed his arms again, “I think the answer is obvious.” Ayuko ground her teeth before she spoke.

“Tatako was right. You’re a total dirt bag.”

“A dirt bag you chose to reconnect with.” He then smiled at her, “Now, go get your bag. Time’s a wastin’.”

After his persuasive speech, the two headed to the train station and headed south for the university. Fukinawa acted kind of weird, in that she wiggled around more than usual and sighed a lot (after her fifth time sighing, he told her to stop it and just leave if it bothered her so much. She stopped sighing after that). However, she never got up and left. She didn’t even complain. She just followed him when he got up and off the train and continued to follow when they got to the university.

Senkuu lead her into the main kinesiology building and through a few long hallways. He had been worried she would get nervous or ask annoying questions, but she remained silent most of the way, faithfully following his lead. If she was like this during the dissection, then he might ask for her help more often. Having an assistant that followed his lead and _actually_ knew what he was talking about would be close to heavenly. Not that Taiju was a bad assistant, but his total lack of knowledge in virtually _every_ subject got old at times.

They finally came up to the dissection room, and Senkuu paused before he opened the door.

“You _are_ ok with a cadaver, right?” He asked as he suddenly turned to her.

“…It’s a little late to ask that _now, _isn’t it?”

“I just mean, you’re not going to faint or throw up or anything, right?” He asked, and she crossed her arms.

“I’m fine. As long as it doesn’t suddenly move, it won’t bother me.”

“Ok. Good.” He gave a curt nod and opened the door, allowing her to enter first. The room was plain and colourless, with various steel tables in rows sitting inside. To the right was a washing and dressing area, but other than that, it was fairly empty.

Save for the old guy sitting in a chair against the wall, and the cadaver laying on one of the tables covered up.

“Ah, Ishigami.” The man said as he stood. Senkuu quickly walked over and bowed to the man.

“Thank you for this opportunity.” He said before the man bowed his head back.

“Not at all. I did promise your father I’d let you examine a cadaver if you displayed the proper knowledge. And, I must admit, your essays were quite compelling. Better than some of my own students, I must admit.” He said. Senkuu grinned and crossed his arms.

“I’m glad I was finally able to convince you to let me take a crack at a cadaver.”

“Well, 17 is still a pretty young age to be exposed to a cadaver. That’s why we’ll keep this whole thing between us.” The man said with a toothy grin. Senkuu took a moment to look at Fukinawa, who simply raised her brow at him. However, she remained silent.

Perfect.

“I appreciate the opportunity.” Senkuu then nodded to Fukinawa, “This is my friend, Fukinawa Ayuko. She’ll be assisting me.”

“Ah, and what a lovely assistant you are.” The man grinned as he bowed his head. Fukinawa bowed in return.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She said simply.

“You know, my wife assisted me when I was a surgeon, back in the day. We made quite the team.” The man grinned at them. But Senkuu remained completely neutral, not really one to read between the lines. After a pause, Senkuu spoke again.

“We’ll get ready, if that’s alright.”

“Oh, yes. Yes, of course. I’ll just be here if you have any questions.” He smiled to them before going back to his seat and picking up a news paper. Senkuu immediately turned away and walked towards the cleaning area (and quickly checked behind him to make sure Fukinawa followed). He immediately began to put on his scrubs, and Fukinawa was quick to follow.

“You’ll need to wear a mask over your mouth so you don’t-,”

“I know.” She interrupted as she tied the strings of her scrub shirt, “This isn’t my first dissection.” Senkuu paused and then grinned.

“Good. In that case, try to keep up.”

“I don’t have to keep up if I’m way ahead of you.” She said with her own small grin. He chuckled and continued to get ready. Soon, they were cleaned and dressed and ready to begin.

All the tools had already been set up, and the bright lights above them made it easy to examine the subject at hand. Senkuu confidently began the dissection as he directed Fukinawa on what to do. And surprisingly enough, the time went by without her making a fuss. Or making a witty joke. Or…saying anything. She just worked silently and followed his directions. Twice she made a suggestion on the type of tool and cutting technique to use, but other than that, she just worked. And he didn’t need to micromanage her like he had to with Taiju. She just knew what to do.

It was incredibly…smooth. And out of character. Half an hour into the dissection, Senkuu spoke up.

“You’re unusually quiet.” He said as he examined the muscle beneath him, “I trust the experience isn’t traumatising you or something.”

“No.” She said simply. He looked up at her, and she seemed calm and focused, which was different from how she seemed on the subway car. Before, she couldn’t seem to sit still, and she would nervously glance at him when she thought he wasn’t looking. But now, she was a completely different person. She was totally focused and…in control. It was like she had aged from an awkward preteen to a grown woman in a mere hour. It was…strange. And he didn’t know if it was normal. So, instead of beating around the bush, he was extremely blunt.

“I seem to remember you being more talkative and, honestly, annoying. The first time you slept over at my house I couldn’t shut you up.” Her eyes narrowed slightly, but she didn’t get angry.

“I used to talk a lot when I got excited. But I don’t talk as much now.”

“I noticed. But why?” He asked, and she blinked at him.

“Because I’m either focused, or I don’t have much to say.” She shrugged, “I learned that you can get in a lot of trouble if you just talk for the sake of talking.” Senkuu stared at her, then slowly put down his tool. He then stared her dead in the eyes.

“You are so, _incredibly_ correct.” He said, and she suddenly blushed.

“What?” She croaked, but he continued over her.

“Why _do_ people feel they need to speak when there is nothing to be said? Why do people _talk_ when there’s nothing worth talking about? It’s like people have become afraid of silence. As if it’s some sort of…social faux pa.” He picked up his tool again and went back to the muscle, “I _enjoy_ silence. Not that I hate noise or conversation, but I think there’s a place for silence. But most people seem to disagree with me, so I always have to keep talking and making noise to make them happy. It’s exhausting and a waste of energy.”

“Uh…yeah.” Ayuko said as she slowly got back to work. Senku glanced up at her and smiled.

“I think I should make you my assistant more often. If you’re up to the challenge.” He said, and she gave a small smile.

“I’m always ready for a challenge.” She said, and his smile turned into an evil grin.

“Good, because your first challenge is helping me break this guy’s ribs so I can examine the chest cavity.” Fukinawa’s smile fell.

“Uh…sure…?”

Half an hour later, Senkuu had his head inside a man’s chest, and Fukinawa was seriously beginning to question her life choices.

A week passed after that before Senkuu was in need of an assistant again. And, again, Taiju was too busy with baseball practice (which was becoming an increasing annoyance). This time, however, Senkuu didn’t need to go down the list of trustworthy peers. Instead, he immediately texted Fukinawa. The experiment was right up her ally, after all.

_11:56 am_

_Hey. I’ll need your help again today. Come by my place when you’re done school._

Senkuu hit send and put his cell phone in his pocket. He probably should have _asked_ if she was available, but then again, anything she was doing was most likely less important than what he had to do.

Surprisingly, she texted back only a minute later.

_11:57 am_

_With what? I can’t today. I’m going to go to the shopping center with Rei (Tatako)._

Senkuu looked up and across the room to Tatako, who was currently talking to her friends.

“Hey! Tatako!” He called over, and she looked over at him.

“What?” She asked, slightly annoyed.

“Fukinawa can’t hang out today because she’s helping me.” He called out, already texting the girl back.

“…Did _she_ say that, or are _you_ saying that?” Tatako said, and the girls around her giggled.

“It’s already decided. You’ll just have to pick another day.” He waved her off, focusing on his phone.

“You know, people have lives outside of _you_. Maybe she doesn’t want to-,”

“I can assure you what I’ll being doing is much more important _and_ exciting than whatever you had planned.”

“Well, seeing as we were going to do friend things, and you’re just using her for her biology skills, I’d say my plans are actually more important.”

“Too late. I already sent the text.” He waved at her again, all the while not looking at her, “You’ll just have to reschedule.”

_11:58 am_

_Tatako said she’s ok rescheduling, so you can come over after school._

“You’re a jerk.” Tatako said.

_11:58 am_

_I doubt that. But fine. I’ll come over. Do you still live at the same place?_

“Oh, no. Please. Your words cut me to the core.” He said sarcastically as he typed back.

_11:58 am_

_No. I’ll pick you up._

Tatako rolled her eyes and huffed while her friends chuckled and giggled again. But Senkuu just closed his phone and put it back in his pocket.

Fukinawa was waiting by her school gate when he finally arrived.

“Hey.” He nodded. She looked over at him and gave a small smile.

“Hey.”

“Well, let’s us not waste time with pleasantries. We have a lot to do today.” He nodded for her to follow and was pleased when she immediately took step beside him.

“What are we doing?” She asked.

“I need your help with some lab mice I’ve been working with.” He began, “I’ve been doing an experiment to see how mice react to the pheromone scent of cats and if they’ll avoid edibles because of it.”

“Ok.” She said with a nod. Senkuu grinned.

_Its so refreshing for someone to just know what I’m talking about._

“So, I’ve been feeding the mice a treat every time they go into a specific cage and push a red button. We’ve been doing the same routine for two weeks now, and on Monday I began putting a cat scent on the button. Immediately, all the mice avoided the button and tried to hide.”

“…Sounds like a success-,”

“Yeah, it _would be_,” He said as he looked at her, “If it weren’t for _one_ friggin mouse who keeps _messing_ with the data.”

“What do you mean?” She asked, and he sighed.

“Subject 14. He’s the _only_ mouse who stills goes to the button, presses it, and waits for a treat.” He narrowed his eyes, “I swear he winked at me the other day.” Fukinawa smiled.

“I think your projecting your feelings onto a mouse.”

“I’m not. He’s been doing it for a week- no matter how strong I make the scent. I figured he’s either mentally deficient, or he has no sense of smell.” Senkuu shrugged, “Either way, I need a second opinion. So, who better than someone who studies animals?”

“Well…I’ll see what I can do.”

“I’d appreciate it.”

When they got to Senkuu’s apartment, they quickly took off their shoes and went to the spare room. Senkuu opened the door and walked straight up to a large, long cage that sat on a table to the left. One part of the cage was taller than the other and held a little over a dozen mice, most of whom were sleeping in little huts. The second part (that was divided by a black wall) was mostly bare, save for the wood chip bedding and a large red button on the far left wall. Fukinawa inspected the cage and the mice inside.

“This is their set up at the moment. They have their living quarters and the main experiment area. I’ll show you the usual routine.” Senkuu said as he put down his bag and walked to the right hand wall (which held a number of shelves and book cases). He picked up a clicker, walked back to the cage, and lifted up the top of the living quarters. He then pressed a part of the black wall, which switched from black to red, before putting the top back on and clicking the clicker. Immediately, the mice looked around while the others scurried out of their huts. He waited a moment before clicking twice, and immediately the mice hurried over to the red portion of the wall. Senkuu then pinched the red portion of the wall and lifted it up, allowing the mice to gather into the experiment area. They all left, save for one mouse who sat in the middle of the cage and stared up at Senkuu. The boy frowned.

“Is that subject 14?” Fukinawa asked.

“_Yes_.” Senkuu mumbled as he clicked the clicker twice. The mouse munched on a pellet, but other than that didn’t budge. “Do you see what I mean? I’ve also theorized that he’s partially deaf. Hey! Get moving!” He suddenly barked. The mouse looked up at him, shoved the pellet it’s mouth, then scurried over to the entrance.

Before sitting down again.

Senkuu growled as he lightly tapped the cage.

“Does he normally do this?” Fukinawa asked in mild amusement.

“He always screws around.” Senkuu huffed before he lowered his face to the mouse’s level and glared at it. “Move!”

The mouse stood back up, walked up to the entrance, then peed on it before sitting down again.

“UGH!” Senkuu moaned as Fukinawa smiled. But she remained silent. “I’m not giving you a treat to go in! You just have to go in like the rest of them. Now GO!” He barked again. The mouse blinked at him but didn’t budge. “Oh for the love of-,” He tore off the top of the cage and violently poked the mouse from behind, “Move your BUTT!” He spat as the mouse squeaked and scurried to the other end. He immediately shut the red portion of the wall, switched it back to black and put the top back on.

“That wasn’t very nice.” Fukinawa grinned.

“_He_ isn’t very nice.” Senkuu snarked as he looked to the rest of the mice, who waited patiently for him. At least _they_ respected him.

He took a breath to calm himself before he opened a drawer beneath the table. Fukinawa watched as he took out a small spritzer with a foggy liquid inside. He then took off the top of the experiment area and moved the spritzer towards the button. Already, the mice began to look around in agitation, their little eyes widening in fear. And as soon as Senkuu sprayed the button, the immediately ran around in a panic. They moved to the opposite end of the cage before most of them scurried back to the black wall and clawed at it. Senkuu then picked up a medium sized, plastic house and put it into the cage. All the mice ran inside.

All but one.

Subject 14 sat in front of the button, watching his peers disappear into the house. He then waited for Senkuu to look at him before he went up to the red button and pushed it with his little hands. He then lifted up his hands to receive the treat.

And Senkuu shot him the _darkest_ glare he could muster.

And with great, _great_ reluctance, he handed the mouse a sunflower seed. Which the mouse happily munched on upon receiving it.

Senkuu then looked at Fukinawa, who had a large grin on her face.

“Well, if anything, he’s entertaining.”

“He’s currently the _bane_ of my existence.” He growled as Subject 14 finished his seed and pressed the button again. “No! You only get 1 treat a day! You _know_ that!” Senkuu said, but the mouse just stared up at him with big, innocent eyes before pressing the button repeatedly. “NO!” The mouse bounced on the button, “STOP IT! I swear to _GOD _I will _END YOU!_” He yelled, to which Fukinawa broke out into laughter. “This isn’t funny!” He said as he looked back at her, “That little turd is _ruining_ my research paper!”

“No, it’s pretty funny.” She laughed and covered her mouth as she shook her head, “But seriously,” She chuckled, “He’s obviously mentally aware because he knows to press the button to get a treat.”

“…True. But he’s doesn’t-,”

“_And_ he knew to go through the red door. He just didn’t want to. And he was mad at you.” She grinned, “That’s why he peed when you yelled at him. He was trying to show you he owned the area.” Senkuu narrowed his eyes as she continued, “Just like he keeps hitting the button. Yeah, he wants a treat, but he also sees you’re giving him attention and a reaction.”

“Then he clearly can’t _smell_ because he should be _petrified of_-,”

“What kind of liquids do you have in here?” She suddenly asked as she looked around. He rose his brow at her.

“Depends. What do you need?”

“Something strong, but nontoxic. Like…do you have gasoline, or…something?”

“Yeah.” Senkuu walked over to one shelf and pulled off a small, glass container. “Here. It’s diesel.”

“Great.” She immediately took it from him and placed it on the table. She then opened it, dipped her finger in, closed it, and rubbed some on a sunflower seed. After that she wiped it off the seed and her hands with a tissue and lowered the seed towards Subject 14.

“You shouldn’t-,”

She offered it to the mouse, who took one sniff of her fingers and moved back. She moved towards him with it, and the mouse wrinkled his nose before he scurried inside the house with the others. The room was dead silent as she retracted her hand and threw the seed into the trash. She sanitized her hands with the hand sanitizer on the table before she looked at Senkuu.

“Well. He can smell alright.” She said as Senkuu looked at her, then the mice, then back at her.

“So…he’s-,”

“He’s been screwing with you this entire time.” The room went quiet again.

“…OH MY _GOD_! Are you KIDDING me?!” Senkuu threw his hands in the air, “Do you know how _long_ I’ve been planning this! I was going to try and make some sort of substance farmers could spray on their goods so mice wouldn’t EAT THEM. But thanks to THAT PIECE OF GARBAGE,” Senkuu yelled as he pointed angrily at the little house, “I’m going to have to START FROM THE BEGINNING.”

“Ishigami, it’s not that bad,” Fukinawa chuckled behind her hand, “He’s one out of 16 or so. Those are pretty good numbers-,”

“Not as good as _16_ out of _16_ mice! 100% is _much_ more compelling when presenting a research report. And it _should_ be 100%!”

“Well, I mean, you have a real random group…so that’s good.” She lowered her hand, “And I respect that you wouldn’t just lie about the numbers.”

“Of course, I wouldn’t lie.” Senkuu said as he crossed his arms, “A true man of science presents the truth, even if it is contrary to his thesis.” He ran his hand down his face as he sighed, “Science isn’t about pride. It’s about facts.” A small, little click was heard in the room, and they both looked back to the cage to find Subject 14 waiting patiently with his hands on the button. Senkuu immediately sneered at him as Fukinawa smiled and reached inside. The mouse remained perfectly calm as she scooped him up and held him in her hands.

“Aw…you may be mean, but you sure are a cutie.” She said as she gave his head a little scratch. He closed his eyes and lowered his head, enjoying the affection and attention.

“Don’t reward him.” Senkuu growled.

“You should try being nice to him. Maybe if you weren’t angry, he’d work with you.” Fukinawa grinned as she walked up to him, “Here.”

“I don’t want to hold the spawn of Satan.”

“I’m serious. Come on. Just hold him.” She said as she motioned to him. Senkuu sighed, rolled his eyes, then offered out his hands. She placed Subject 14 into his hands and moved back slightly. The mouse looked up at her, then over at Senkuu. The teen sighed again.

“I know I shouldn’t get mad at a mouse. He doesn’t have the mental capacity to truly understand anger, and it’s not like he can comprehend holding a grudge.”

“Exactly. He’s just reacting to-,”

And then the mouse peed on him.

“YOU MOTHER-,”

“DON’T DROP HIM!” Fukinawa screamed as she scooped the mouse out of his hands. Senkuu looked at his hands and stared down at the mouse with the dirtiest look he could make.

“YOU don’t seem to understand that YOUR LIFE is in MY hands! I determine if you EAT, I determine if you SLEEP, and I DETERMINE if you _DIE_!”

“Don’t KILL him!” Fukinawa said as she shielded the mouse (who displayed no sign of fear).

“I _should_.” Senkuu barked as he walked over to the table and wiped his hands on some tissues. “He’d have it _coming_.”

“Poor Subject 14.” Fukinawa cooed to the mouse as she held it close to her chest, “Ishigami doesn’t mean that. He’s just angry.” She said to it as Senkuu moved to the cage and helped get the other mice back to their living area. “But you really should stop messing with him. Senkuu takes his research reports _very_ seriously.” She whispered (loudly) to the mouse. Senkuu paused for a moment at the mention of his first name, but then let it slide. They had only recently gone back to using last names after all.

“For now, he’s not going to live with the other mice anymore.” He said as he turned back to her. Fukinawa shielded the mouse from him again.

“Where are you putting him?”

“Into retirement.” He said bluntly. There was a pause.

“…Is that some kind of code for killing him-,”

“No, I mean literally. I’m putting him in the retirement cage.” He said as he motioned towards the other end of the room. Sitting on one of the shelves was a smaller cage that wasn’t broken into portions. It had three floors with various toys and various little houses. Fukinawa walked over and peered inside to see at least 5 mice.

“You have a retirement cage?” She asked as she examined it.

“Sure. The mice have to go somewhere when I’m done with them.” She looked over her shoulder at him and rose her brow, “Ok, yes, on the surface it would be more logical to just kill them, but there’s a problem with that solution. A, I might need them later for something, and just going out and buying more mice would be a hassle, B, Byakuya would freak out if he found a bunch of mouse corpses in the garbage, and C, I would never hear the end of it from Taiju and Yuzuriha- who at this point has become my moral compass.” Fukinawa looked back at the cage.

“But doesn’t the cost of upkeep far outweigh the benefits of keeping them?”

“It’s fine.” He said with a shrug, “Money isn’t a big issue. They’re just mice, so they’re easy to care for.” Fukinawa smiled as she looked over at him again. “…What?”

“I think you’d actually feel bad about killing them.”

“Why would I feel bad? They’re test subjects. In case you didn’t notice, I don’t _name_ them because I don’t get attached to them.” But she continued to give a warm smile.

“I think you’d feel bad because they dedicated their lives to scientific progress and killing them, after everything they did for you, would be cruel.” She said. Senkuu remained silent for a moment.

“You’re reading too much into it.” He said with his own smile. “They’re just mice.” He walked up to her, gently picked up Subject 14, then lifted the cage lid and put him on the top floor. “There. You’re officially retired. Go make some friends or something.” He sighed before closing the top. Subject 14 looked around, then up at Senkuu and squeaked at him. Senkuu stared at the small animal for a moment, then walked back to the other table before returning with a sunflower seed. He placed it in the mouse’s tiny little hands. “There. Now leave me alone. I’m busy.” The mouse took the seek and began to munch on it, happily watching Senkuu as he turned and walked away. And Ayuko watched him too, still trying to figure him out. Still trying to understand the young man who had changed so much, yet so little from when he way a boy.

A month passed, and Senkuu found himself working with Fukinawa more often. Whenever Taiju was unavailable, and Senkuu was in need of an assistant, he would text Fukinawa. And she was incredibly reliable because she was always up to the challenge. No matter the project, great or small, she could be relied on to get the job done. At first, he had asked her to do simple things, such as going out and buying equipment or taking notes while he verbally gave an analysis (things Taiju could do). But after a few weeks he began to test what more she could do. How reliable was she when measuring chemicals? Could she be trusted to be safe around dangerous tasks? How shaky were her hands? How good were her calculating skills?

And, granted, she wasn’t a genius (her biology and chemistry skills were good, but her knowledge of physics was severely lacking), but she was a _world_ ahead of Taiju when it came to understanding his thought process.

He soon found he could trust her with more and more things. All he had to do was tell her how, and she’d do it. She’d measure it out precisely and work diligently until the task was complete. And what’s more, she was also humble about the whole process. She didn’t act like she already knew things when she didn’t. She asked smart, to the point questions. And if she was unsure, she’d check with him instead of allowing her pride to force her through it.

It was…refreshing.

And to have someone he could talk to- someone who could keep up (to an extent) was like a breath of fresh air. Sure, she usually got lost when he went into the more advanced details of things but overall she could follow along. It was nice- being able to rely on someone. Being able to give someone a task and walk away, knowing it would be accomplished. Not that Taiju didn’t accomplish his tasks, but he had to give Taiju simple instructions, lest his friend have a mental breakdown.

He was sitting in his room with Fukinawa. The window was open to allow the warm breeze inside, and the two of them sat at different ends of the room working on their own tasks. He was currently attaching a black light to one of his (many) phones, though his attention was divided between his project and observing Fukinawa’s work.

She sat at the other end of the room and was currently putting one of his (many) computer towers together. He had given her the necessary parts and briefly instructed her on how to build it. Honestly, he didn’t actually need her to build a computer for him. He was just testing to see how she would handle something completely outside her comfort zone.

She asked a few questions in the beginning, but after a while she fell silent and focused solely on her task. He watched as she, at times, would pull up a youtube video or article on her phone. She had only asked 2 questions within the past 2 hours (he had a _lot_ of small parts for her to put together), but it seemed she was on the right tract.

And then she suddenly looked at him (which was slightly awkward, because he was already looking at her).

“Can you check this for me?” She asked as she held the motherboard up to him. He got up and knelt beside her, picking up the piece of technology in his hands.

“Not too bad, especially for your first time.” He grinned, “Are you sure you haven’t built computers in the past?”

“No,” She chuckled under her breath, “I think I’d remember something like that. To be honest, I thought building computers was a lot simpler. But there are a lot more parts than I realized” She shrugged, “But, it’s not too hard as long as I follow your instructions.”

“Mm.” He nodded as he stood up. “Well, I think it’s settled.” He said as he brushed his pants with his hands.

“What is?”

“My decision to hire you on.” She let out a soft, breathy laugh before he spoke again, “I’m serious. I could use your help around here for the different things I have going on.”

“Aren’t I already helping you? I’ve been over here at least once every week for the past month.”

“True…but those were times I just needed a person, not you specifically.” He rubbed his chin, “But I think I’d prefer if _you_ came to help me. I can’t trust most of our peers with the projects I have. Plus, Taiju just seems to get busier and busier with baseball, so I can’t rely on him too much anymore.” He shrugged, “If you’d like, I’d like you to be one of my go to people.” 

“Do I get paid?” She grinned.

“You get paid with experience.” He grinned back, and she gave a short laugh, “Then, what? I don’t know. What do people normally-,” He snapped his fingers, “Oh!” And then he quickly went to the second bookcase on the right. “I forgot. I meant to give these to you, but when you stopped writing I figured you didn’t want any part of them, so I just kept them.” He moved aside a cactus on the top shelf and pulled down a little locked box. After entering the code, he opened it and pulled out a small bag. “Here.” He said as he handed her the bag. She gently took it and pinched at it.

“What is it?” She asked before opening it and pouring the contents into her palm. A dozen small diamonds tumbled onto her hand.

“They’re the impure diamonds I was going to give you.” He said as he locked his box and put it away. “I intended to give them to you a while ago, so you can just have them now.” She stared at the stones, her mouth agape for a long moment. He watched her watch them before he spoke again, “Uh, they’re the worst quality ones, just so you know. I figured you could sell them for a bit of cash, but seriously, a real jeweller will be able to smell their poor quality a mile away.” She continued to stare at them with wide eyes. He put his hands in his pockets and waited for her to speak. However, she just continued to stare. Senkuu furrowed his brows. What was taking so long? Was she offended by their poor quality? “I…uh…told you in my letter that they’d be failures so…I hope you weren’t expecting anything of actual worth…”

Her look became softer as she picked up one of the tiny precious stones and rubbed it between her fingers. But she remained silent. He knew she had become a quieter person but…even to his socially inept brain, the whole thing was sending off red flags.

_She must be really pissed if she’s being this quiet._

“I’m…sorry?” He said awkwardly, but it fell on deaf ears. It seemed she had fallen into her own little world, somewhere outside his reach. He tapped his foot for a few seconds. “Do…uh, you need to be alone right now? Or…something?” Still no response. A little smile grew onto her face, but still, she ignored him-, “Ok, listen, I’m not good at reading between the lines, so you’re just going to have to flat out tell me what to do. I literally have to idea where to go with this conversation.”

“What?” She suddenly snapped back to reality and quickly looked at him, as if he had just entered the room, “What? Sorry.” She blinked and shook her head, “Sorry, no, I just spaced out for a second.”

“Yeah. I noticed.”

“Sorry, it’s just…the letter you sent me telling me about the diamonds…the letter you sent from the hospital- that was the last one I ever got from you.” She placed the little stone back amongst its companions and gave a sad smile, “I figured it was just some kind of…cruel joke.” Her small smile faded, “And when I wrote to you, but you still didn’t write back… I thought maybe something happened to you. Maybe you never made it out of the hospital.” She gently rubbed her fingers over the little jagged rocks, “I went online to check the newspapers every week to see if your name was in the obituary.” She pulled her fingers back, “But then, an old friend posted a picture to social media, and I saw you in the background. So, I just…I figured you got tired of me.”

“Why would I joke about giving you crappy diamonds?” He asked bluntly as he crossed his arms.

“Because…sometimes people are just mean-,”

“And if you were so worried about me, why didn’t you just get a friend to ask me why I stopped writing? Or why didn’t you visit when you were in town?” He scratched his ear, “We could have just sorted it all out.”

“I didn’t…” She paused as she thought out her words, “I just figured you didn’t want to talk to me anymore.” And her demeanour changed. Her shoulders slumped, and she seemed to curl in on herself slightly.

“So, why didn’t you just ask me?” He asked, and she suddenly looked at him.

“I couldn’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“Because if you _did_ get tired of me, I’d just be annoying you. You’d just…brush me off and call me an idiot or something.”

“Ok, _or_,” Senkuu rolled his eyes, “You would have found out I still wanted to keep in touch, and we could have continued sending our findings to one another.” She slowly curled her fingers over her gift as she stared down at it.

“You don’t understand. It would have been humiliating if you had…If I went out of my way to contact you and you rejected me-,”

“But I wouldn’t have. I-,” He sighed and rubbed his forehead, “I don’t get it. If it bugged you so much, why didn’t you just find out the real reason?”

“Because I couldn’t take that kind of rejection-,”

“Who cares? People get rejected all the time-,”

“_I _care.” She said as her fist tightened.

“Listen, people will reject you, or they won’t. But it’s better to know where you stand with someone-,”

“Why didn’t _you_ do anything?” She suddenly said, her voice hardening, her fist clenched.

“What-,”

“If you _did_ care- if you did enjoy our letters, why didn’t _you_ reach out to _me?_” She said, her voice hard as she looked up at him in anger.

Which…he didn’t really understand.

“I didn’t need to double check with you-,”

“_Why?_”

“Because I thought you made your choice.” He waved at the air, “I wrote to you twice, you didn’t respond, therefore you got bored. End of story.”

“Then why are you giving me _crap_ for not visiting or-,”

“Because you thought I was _dead_.” He gave her a funny look, “Typically if you think someone’s _dead_ or _dying_ then you go out of your way to make sure they _aren’t_-,”

“Yeah, well, you still should have checked on me! If you cared-,”

“_Ugh_. I _did_ care.” He rolled his eyes again.

“Then why didn’t you-,”

“Because people reject me _all the time_, Ayuko. I’m used to people telling me I’m _boring_ or a _nerd_ or a _loser_. And the point is I don’t _care_.” He waved at the air, “After so many people reject you, you just get used to it-,”

“Well I _don’t_.” She snapped, “People I care about reject me all the time, and I _don’t_ get used to it.” There was then a long, long pause before Senkuu spoke again.

“Yes, you do. That’s why you accepted it. You’re so used to it, you just thought it was happening again.” He motioned to her, “And you moved on. You got over it.” Then he motioned to himself, “Just like I did.”

The room went dead quiet.

And then, in the quiet, she stared at him with large, surprised eyes.

And in the quiet, he watched as her angry expression melted into pain.

And in the quiet, he watched as water suddenly filled her eyes and burst forth into tears. She blinked, and her lashes collected some of the water with them.

Senkuu closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. Clearly, he still had a lot to learn about emotionally tense conversations.

“…Why are we even talking about this?” He asked as he looked at her once more. Her lip quivered slightly, but then she clenched her teeth and steadied herself.

“I don’t know, but I want to end this conversation.”

“Agreed.” He uncrossed his arms and came up to her, “Now, give me your hand.”

“Why?” She asked, and yet she still offered it to him. He uncurled her fist and stared down at the jagged stones.

“Because you were clenching them so hard, you must have cut yourself.” And, sure enough, small beads of blood had begun to appear in her palm. He gave a soft sigh. She still had so much to learn. He put the diamonds back in their small bag and went to leave the room. “We’ll bandage up your hand, then get back to work.” He moved to the door and opened it, only once glancing back to see if she would follow.

And sure enough, she was there. Right behind him, following his lead.

After that, Fukinawa had begun to work with him regularly. Late spring moved into early summer, and Taiju was still busy with school activities. When he did get free time, he and Senkuu typically played video games or tested his experiments. They didn’t do as much…building as they used to.

But, that’s where Fukinawa had stepped in, and she was doing a fine job. She was a hard worker and had a sharp mind. And she studied a lot too. He noticed she had been studying physics when he mentioned the satellite motion formula, and she didn’t look at him in utter confusion.

Though, Fukinawa (like the rest of his peers) was still young in _so _many ways…

He was waiting by her school gate on a warm June day. He had already given her a heads up that he was going to pick her up (he figured they should get some food before heading to his place- the steps to even _begin_ genetically modifying a mouse was going to take _hours_), but he had expected her to be by the gate by now. He checked his phone before scrolling through his messages.

Nope. No new texts. And she was 5 minutes late now.

_She’s usually very punctual._

He quickly sent a text to his father asking him if he wanted anything when he suddenly heard his name. He looked up, and there she was, just walking towards him.

“Hi.”

“Well you took your sweet time.” He mock sighed. She looked at her watch.

“I’m only 5 minutes late.”

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to dock your pay for this, Ms. Fukinawa.” He grinned, and she shook her head and chuckled.

“Man…I wish you paid me.” She mumbled.

“If it’s money you’re after, you’re helping out the wrong guy.” He crossed his arms, “What we’re doing is furthering our knowledge-,”

“Says the guy who sells literal _diamonds_.” She said bluntly. “How about sharing the wealth a little.”

“That money strictly goes towards my projects.” He said, “…and feeding Taiju when he visits.” He sighed slightly, “I swear, he eats enough for three grown men.”

“Why would-,”

“Hey, Fukinawa.” Someone said, and they both turned to some guy (who, based on his uniform, was one of her peers).

“Oh…hey.” She mumbled.

“Do you have some time to talk?”

“I-,”

“Sorry. She’s busy.” Senkuu said bluntly. “She doesn’t have time unless you make it quick.” The student looked at Senkuu (as if suddenly realizing he was there) before giving him and up and down.

“Who are you?”

“I’m her boss-,”

“You’re _not_ my boss.” Fukinawa sighed.

“I’m her theoretical boss.”

“You’re not even-,”

“Am I missing something here?” The guy asked, and Fukinawa shook her head.

“No. This is my friend, Ishigami Senkuu.” She said, and Senkuu nodded at the guy. “He’s just here to pick me up.” The guy looked Senkuu over again before turning back to Fukinawa.

“I just wanted to ask if you got my letter.”

“Yeah. I…got it.” She said awkwardly.

“Then, can we talk about it?”

“I…have to think about it.” She shrugged.

“Already sending pen pal letters to someone else?” Senkuu sighed, “I’m torn, Fukinawa. Hurt, even.” He mocked.

“Ok, seriously, who _is_ he?” The student asked again. And Senkuu could already tell he had apparently said the wrong thing (and probably shouldn’t have intruded on their conversation).

_If he didn’t want me in the conversation he should have said so._

“He’s a friend.”

“Is he the guy you keep hanging out with? That weird science guy?”

“Honestly, I’ve been called much worse-,”

“Yes-no. He isn’t weird. He’s an old friend.”

“I thought you said you didn’t have a boyfriend.” The other guy said.

“I don’t, we’re-,”

“UGH! You think I’m her _boyfriend_?” Senkuu visibly cringed, “As if I’d actually _date_ someone.”

“Then what’s the problem?” The guy asked. Fukinawa wiggled on the spot.

“I just…I don’t know if I want to…go out with you-,”

“We don’t have to suddenly be dating or anything. I just want to take you out once. Then, you can decide if you’d like to do it again or not.”

“I don’t know…”

“Wait, hold up-,” Senkuu said as he suddenly looked at Fukinawa, “Is he asking you out?”

“Yeah, I am.” The guy said as he crossed his arms. Senkuu rose his brows.

“What? You can’t _go out_ with him. That’s ridiculous.”

“Ishigami…”

“I’m serious. Why would you want to do something so…_stupid_-,”

“Last time I checked, I was asking _her_ out, not _you._” The student said, but Senkuu ignored him.

“Listen, Fukinawa, you don’t understand yet because you’re still young. But dating is a complete waste of time and resources.” But instead of nodding along, she gave him a confused look. To which Senkuu sighed. She was so smart, and yet so incredibly foolish. Why did he have to keep explaining this to people? “Ok. Tell me. Why do people date each other?”

“Is this some kind of trick question?” She asked.

“No, I’m serious.”

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t _ignore_ me.” The guy said, but both Senkuu and Ayuko ignored him anyway.

“I guess…it’s because you like them…and you want to get to know them.”

“And _why_ do you want to get to know them?”

“Because…then you’d know if you like them more?”

“Almost.” Senkuu sighed, “The whole point of courtship is to find a marriage mate. It’s to determine if someone is a suitable partner or not. In fact, courtship is still relatively new since, previously, people were usually matched together based on a match maker or their parents- don’t ask, I’ve done my research.” He rolled his eyes, “Anyway, if you _aren’t_ ready to find a life partner, then _why_ would you waste your time _dating _someone.”

“Because…you like them. You have feelings for them.” Fukinawa said, her tone more argumentative than gentle.

“Just because you have feelings for someone doesn’t mean you _have_ to date them. If anything, dating is a distraction.” He waved her off, “I understand if it’s something most people want to do- though the reasoning still alludes me. However, I don’t understand why a smart person like _you_ would want to do something like that _now_.” She frowned at him.

“Because it’s natural-,”

“Oh, I can give you a _long_ list of things that are _natural_ that people should _not_ be doing.”

“But if you love someone-,”

“Ugh! Don’t get me started on _love._” He rolled his eyes so far they almost crashed into his skull, “_Love_ makes people crazy- I know, I’ve seen it. And you’re 14 for god’s sakes.” He pointedly looked at her, “You can’t possibly know what love is.” And then Senkuu saw something on her face that he hadn’t seen in a _long_ time. He saw that same, fiery, stubborn look she had given him when they were children.

“_Don’t_ tell me what I feel, Ishigami. I may be young, but I _know_ what I feel.” However, her look had no effect on Senkuu, since he was mostly immune to people’s anger.

“What you _feel_ are raging hormones-,”

“And what would _you_ know about relationships anyway! You’ve never-,”

“_Believe me_. I have seen _enough_ to get a sense of what things are really about.”

“Listen,” The other guy said, and they both turned to look at him, “If you don’t want to go out with me, that’s fine. But just tell me, ok? I don’t need you and your theoretical boyfriend to debate about it right in front of my face-,”

“He’s not my-,”

“Do you want to go out or not? Yes or no?” He asked, and Ayuko took a moment to look at him, then at Senkuu. Senkuu crossed his arms.

“If you want to waste your time dating, that’s fine. It’s none of my business.” He shrugged, “But if that’s the case, I’ll have to find someone else to assist me on my experiments. I won’t be able to depend on you if you’re constantly going on dates- not to mention you’ll be _completely_ distracted.” He looked at her, “It’s your choice.”

Fukinawa looked at him, uncertainty and something else written on her face. She looked off to the side, thought about it, then looked back at her peer.

“I’m…sorry. I can’t.” She said softly. The boy sighed.

“Yeah. I figured.” He readjusted his bag, “Fine. I’ll see you in class, I guess.” He looked over at Senkuu, gave him a bit of a hard look, then walked off. Ayuko sighed and turned back to Senkuu.

Who was completely unfazed.

“Now that _that’s _over, come on.” He nodded towards the right, “We have to get food before we get to my place.”

“Ok…” She said, and if she seemed quieter, he didn’t notice. He was unaffected. He had more important things to think about.

It was a Saturday, and Fukinawa had agreed to come over to check on the mice and do maintenance while Senkuu worked on his other projects. He was telling her about Andrea’s latest expedition when she suddenly interrupted,

“Sorry, who’s Andrea again?”

“My science club teacher- or, rather, the volunteer teacher of the science club.” He said as he examined the circuit board he was working on.

“And you two are close?” She asked.

“Sure. About as close as an adult can be with a 14-year-old.” He shrugged, “Apparently we can’t be friends outside of school until I at least graduate junior high, and even then, she won’t take me anywhere alone until I’m at least 16 or older.” He sighed, “Just one of the many reasons why I find this stage of life so bothersome. We’re given a false sense of freedom. We’re old enough to do some things on our own, yet the exciting, important things are still beyond our grasp.”

“Well…that’s cool. Being friends with a teacher.”

“Yeah. It was kind of hard in the beginning. Especially when she had this stalker who tried to kill me. But he’s in jail n-,”

“I’m sorry, what?” Fukinawa said loudly, and he looked up at her.

“Oh, I didn’t tell you? Yeah, there was this crazy guy who followed her everywhere. Eventually he broke into the school and they got into a big fight and then he tried to choke me to death.” Senkuu looked off for a moment, “I could have sworn I told you that-,”

“I think I’d _remember_ something like that!” She said in distress. Senkuu gave her a funny look.

“It’s not a big deal. It happened last year, and I’m all healed up now.”

“Yeah, but that must have been terrifying!”

“I guess.”

“What do you mean, ‘you guess’?!”

“What do _you_ mean by- why are you getting all worked up?” He put down the circuit board. “It didn’t happen to you, and I’m fine now. So, there’s no reason to make a big deal out of it.”

“Yes, there is! What- I mean, what happened afterwards? Did you go to the hospital?” He rose his brow at her and suppressed his frustration.

“…Fukinawa, he almost choked me to death. Of course I went to the hospital.”

“But- what did-,”

“Like I said, there was no lasting damage. My throat hurt for a while, and I couldn’t speak properly for a bit, but then it all healed over. And now I’m fine.” He paused for a moment, “End of discussion.”

“No, not end of-,” She shook her head, “But didn’t it…effect you in some way? What if the guy gets out of jail or something?”

“He won’t. And even if he does, I’ll just deal with it then. And it didn’t effect me.”

“Of course it did.” She said, and he narrowed his eyes slightly.

“No, it didn’t.” He gave an annoyed sigh, “I don’t know if you realized this, but I don’t get effected by things like other people do. When the situation is done, it’s done. I don’t have to think about it anymore. I move on.” He waved his hand slightly, “The situation was dealt with. It’s over. I’ve moved on.” She blinked at him a few times before speaking again.

“Did you…talk to someone about it?”

“Sure I did.” He said as he picked up the circuit board again. “I talked to the police-,”

“No, I mean, like…a therapist or someth-,”

“Ugggggh.” He groaned as he rolled his eyes, “You sound like my father-,” He looked back at her, “_No_. I didn’t _need _to see a doctor or therapist about it. And I don’t _need_ to see one about it _now_. It’s over. Finished.”

“But…” She wiggled slightly on the spot, “Did you, like…talk to your dad or…someone about it?” Now he stopped to blink at her.

“Why would I talk to someone about it if they’re not trained.”

“I mean, like a friend. Like Taiju or- you must have talked to _someone_ about it-,”

“_Why_ would I talk to someone about it?”

“Because it was scary!”

“And finished. Therefore, there’s no need for discussion. The situation was dealt with-,”

“Just because a situation ‘is dealt with’, doesn’t mean you stop talking about it.” She said as she crossed her arms. “It’s still good to talk about how you feel-,”

“_Uggggghhh_.” He groaned again, “Don’t get started on discussing _feelings_.” He angrily looked at his circuit board, “I’ve had enough talk about _feelings_ to last a lifetime.”

“But it’s good to talk about feelings.”

“_Feelings_-,” He started, then rubbed his face, “Listen, you’re still _young_, so you don’t understand. But _feelings_ are irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.”

“…We’re the same age-,”

“Think about the world around you,” He said, ignoring her, “How do your feelings shape it? Do your feelings stop the natural process of things? Will it cease to rain because you’re sad? Will the earth’s axis shift if you’re angry? Will a star blink out of existence because you’re frightened?” He looked at her, “No. Your feelings influence _nothing_. What point is there in dwelling on emotions when they have no influence on the things around you?” He motioned to the window, “The sun rises, the wind blows, and the earth turns despite how you feel that day. You have no influence. You’re insignificant.” He lowered his hand, “What good will a discussion on feelings do? Moreover, it clouds your judgment and impairs your thinking. It’s better to put them aside and move on. Only then can you influence and learn.” He looked at her and waited for an immediate reply. However, she just sat there and stared at him. He waited a moment, figured he had given the final say, and went back to working on the circuit board. It was a minute later before she suddenly spoke again.

“Maybe…feelings don’t change the world around us.” She said, and he hummed in agreement. “But…I think our feelings can change _our_ world.” He stopped and glanced at her.

“…You just said it doesn’t change-,”

“No. I mean…” She tilted her head to think, “I mean, how we see the world. Like…if I feel sad, it still rains. That’s true. But it changes how I see the rain. Maybe I see the rain as bad or…it makes me sadder. But if I’m happy, maybe I enjoy the rain. I see it as…useful.” He stared at her as she scratched her cheek in thought, “Like…my feelings might not change the world as a whole, but it changes how I see the world. So, it does change the world. It changes _my world_ and…reality.” She looked up at him. “Does that make sense?” She asked, and he blinked at her.

“I…uh…” But he couldn’t really think- or, her could, but he was trying to wrap his brain around it. He wasn’t used to delving into philosophical discussions.

“Like…my feelings shape how I see things. So, I could live in a good world, or a bad one. It doesn’t change the _world_ itself but it changes _mine_. And even then, if I see my world as bad, and I feel bad, then…I could change _your_ world.” She said as she pointed at him, her demeanour picking up confidence, “Because I could make you unhappy, and then you would see your world as bad.”

He slowly put his circuit board down. The world as a whole…the shared reality of mankind. Individuals didn’t change it. But…true…if he were to view the world not as a whole reality, but rather as his _own_ reality…then it could be slightly tweaked…

“But, it doesn’t change things on a grand spectrum.”

“No. But it changes your own reality as a whole. And you can’t see reality through someone else’s eyes. You only have your own perspective. So, really,” She looked off, “Your feelings could change your own reality so much that it’s hard to see the grand spectrum-,”

“Thus creating a spiral effect…” He held his chin in thought, “Which would explain why people with mental health problems struggle to grasp onto the grand reality- because their own has become so warped that they are unable to connect it to the shared reality of people.” He looked up at her, “Interesting. I never thought of it in that sense.” Ayuko nodded, “However, I still fail to see how discussing feelings helps in any sense. You’re implying that feeling negative emotions impacts one’s own reality, and thus could negatively influence their relating to the shared reality. However, if one puts their feelings aside, then there isn’t an issue. If I feel no negative emotions, my reality isn’t negatively impacted. Therefore, I am part of the shared reality.” Fukinawa looked off for a moment in thought before she slowly began to speak again.

“Maybe…but, putting feelings aside, it isn’t the same as _not_ feeling feelings.” She tapped her chin, “If you don’t feel it at all, then there’s nothing to worry about. But if you _do_ feel something, but you just put it away, it still _goes_ somewhere.” She crossed her arms as she furrowed her brows, “Like…it’s like if I gave you a box. Maybe you don’t want the box, so you just put it in the closet and ignore it. But if I keep giving you boxes, and you keep putting them in the closet, then eventually you’re going to cram it so full of boxes that it explodes one day.”

“Ah yes, the ‘bottling up’ argument.” Senkuu nodded, “Byakuya has accused me of such. But I don’t bottle all my emotions. I still get angry sometimes. And I get…_sad_ on occasion.”

“Yeah, but the other stuff you still bottle up.” She looked away, “Like, I often feel things, but I just put them in a box in my mind and put them behind a door. But sometimes I can hear the door knocking, and I have to push against it to keep it closed.” She glanced up shyly, “You know what I mean.”

“…I have _no_ idea what you’re talking about.” She frowned and he continued, “How do you hear something that doesn’t exist?...Do you have a mental disorder-,”

“No- no its figurative.”

“How do you hold back a _figurative_ door?”

“…nevermind.” She sighed and looked away, but he shuffled over.

“No, we’ve gone this far, and you’ve peaked my interest.” He crossed his legs and put his hands on his knees, “Why do you keep referring to doors and boxes? What good does the imagery do?” She looked up and shrugged.

“It just…it helps me keep things in order. Like, sometimes I open the door,” She looked off, “And I take out a box, and I go through the box, and then I feel better-,”

“Why don’t you just _get rid_ of the box?” He asked, and she looked back at him.

“It’s not that easy.”

“Sure it is. It’s your imagination. Just throw it away.” He waved her off, “End of problem.”

“Sure, I can _pretend_ to throw it away, but…it’s still there. I open the door, and there it is again.” He frowned at her.

“Then how do you get rid of these figurative boxes? If they fill up your closet and you need to get rid of them. How do you do it?”

“I…” She crossed her arms and looked at the floor, “I think…talking about it helps.” She nodded. “Its like, you can take a box out, look through it with a friend, and then you can put it somewhere else in the house. Or…” She looked up at the ceiling, “Maybe you can finally put it on the curb as trash.” She looked back at him, “But some boxes you have to keep taking out and putting back in the closet.” He crossed his own arms as he tried to follow along.

“So…in this metaphor, the boxes are feelings you have-,”

“And sometimes they’re memories.”

“Ok…memories and feelings. And the closet is….?”

“It’s…it’s like your subconscious. You just put the memory or feeling behind a door.” Senkuu slowly nodded along.

“Ok…and when you take the box _out_…?”

“You look through it- you analyze it. You think about it and try to understand it.” She gave a small smile, “And sometimes it really helps when you do it with a friend, because they can give their own perspective on what they see and think.” He nodded again.

“And the purpose is to get rid of the box-,”

“Well…I mean…some boxes you can’t get rid of for a long time, so the purpose is to better understand what’s inside.”

“Ok…” He scrunched up his face slightly, “And…you do this? With friends?”

“Sure. I do it all the time-,” He sat up.

“_All_ the time? What does that mean?”

“Like…a lot.”

“…But…ok, so most of the time when you’re with a friend you do something-,”

“Not always.” Senkuu physically looked taken aback, “Sometimes my friends and I will talk about our emotions for hours-,”

“_Hours_?!” He squawked, and she laughed.

“Yeah! It’s fun. And we always feel better afterwards.” She smiled, “Don’t you ever talk to your friends about stuff like that?”

“Of course not! We _do_ things. Like…building or playing video games or just…_something_.” She smiled at him.

“We do things too. But we talk about feelings a lot.” He leaned his elbow on his knee and put his chin in his hand.

“Really…I heard women talked about emotions a lot but…I thought it was simple things like, ‘I feel happy’ and…whatnot. I suppose men do it to. I shouldn’t say it’s only something done specifically by one sex…I’ve never done research on such a thing…” He began mumbling to himself as he looked off at the wall. She smiled at him and patiently waited for him to come back to the conversation. Suddenly, he looked at her again. “So, the entire purpose is analysis.”

“Yes.”

“And what do you do with your observations?” He asked, “Do you write them down or…?” She smiled at him.

“No. You just remember it for next time.”

“Ok. So, one person theoretically ‘shows their box’, then they give their observations, then you give your observations. Then you just take out another box and repeat the process?” He asked, and a warm smile bloomed on her face.

“You’re making it sound so scientific. No, it’s more…I show you what’s in my box, and I talk about it. And sometimes you give an observation, and sometimes you don’t. Sometimes, I just need to show what’s in my box.”

“But- ok, you’re losing me.” He sighed and rubbed his face, “You just said the purpose was _analysis_.”

“Yeah. Sometimes I just need to analyse it by talking about it.” She grinned.

“Then, when do you know to give an observation as the one viewing the box?”

“You just…” She chuckled and shrugged, “You do. You just know.” He huffed and she laughed again, “Sometimes the other person will just ask you what you think.”

“This sounds more like some sort of ritual than a scientific analysis.” He sighed and she covered her mouth as she giggled.

“Here. Let’s try it. It’ll be easier to show you.”

“What?”

“Trust me.” She lowered her hand. “Just talk about something, and I’ll show you how it’s usually done.” He scrunched up his face and frowned.

“…What am I supposed to talk about?”

“Anything- or, a feeling. Like, take out a box and open it.”

“I don’t _have_ any figurative boxes.”

“Sure you do. You just went on a rant about how you put things aside. So…take a box you put aside and talk about it.”

“…uh…ok…I…uh…feel…happy?” She laughed again and he sighed.

“No, uh, maybe not how you feel now. Try, like, a memory or something. Just…talk about it. Then how you felt about it.” He sighed again and tried to think.

A memory. A memory with some sort of feeling. Well…he didn’t have a lot of those. Most memories were just…facts. Accomplishments. Experiments. Should he talk about that time Mark tried to kill him? But he didn’t really have any emotions attached to that. He just felt…nothing.

Then again, it was the situation that got them into this entire discussion, so it was worth a shot.

He sighed a third time.

“Uh…ok…so this guy named Mark was stalking my teacher.” He said, and she nodded. “And, he broke onto campus one day. So, I saw him, and then I went to tell the teacher about it.” He looked at her, but she remained silent, “So…I got the teacher, and then she and Mark got into this big fight. And then he knocked her out and proceeded to choke me.” He paused to see if Ayuko would say anything, but she just stared at him. “And…obviously I didn’t die.” He paused again. “…And that’s my story.” Fukinawa grinned at him and he frowned, “I don’t feel better.”

“Ok that’s…how about you go into more detail. Like, really tell the story.”

“…Uh…Ok. Mark was stalking my teacher. And then he broke into the school. Then-,”

“How did he break in?” She suddenly asked.

“What?”

“How did you know he got on school grounds?”

“Oh, uh…I saw him by the gate.” He said. She nodded.

“And you knew he was stalking your teacher?”

“Yeah.” There was a pause between them.

“…Did that scare you…?” She prodded, and Senkuu shrugged.

“I mean, it threw me off guard. But I didn’t panic.” She continued to look at him. “Or… I did panic a little. I didn’t know if he was going to follow me or something.” Fukinawa nodded and motioned for him to keep going. “And that…was kind of scary?” She motioned to continue further, “I mean, he was a big guy- well, not _really_ big, but he was well built. And even children are stronger than me, so I knew that if he tried to take me out I’d be done.” She hummed at him, but didn’t give any more input, so he continued on, “So, I went to the teachers room- I ran there- and I didn’t have my shoes on because I figured I’d be wasting time.” He paused and she nodded at him, “…I felt like he was following me. It was like my gut was telling me to run. So…_that_ was unnerving. Then I got to the teacher’s office and told Andrea- ugh.” He said suddenly.

“What?”

“Then I felt like an idiot because I suddenly yelled that Mark was looking for her and, I didn’t even know if he was following me. It made me feel like an idiot. As if I let my emotions get the better of me.” He rolled his eyes.

“But…it was good you did that. Because he _was_ following you.”

“Sure but…I still shouldn’t have reacted like that.” He sighed, “Anyway, Andrea came out, and Mark was _right_ there. Then they started to fight-,”

“What did they fight about?” She asked, and Senkuu blinked at her.

“What? What do you mean what? They fought about him stalking her.”

“So, she called him a stalker and…he said he wasn’t?”

“Yeah,” Senkuu grinned, “He was talking about how he was in love with her, and she was calling him out on it and getting up in his face- she’s a total badass.” He let out a breath, “Then he started accusing me of being involved, so she attacked him, and he attacked back. And then he choked me. So-,”

“Wait- sorry- he what? He accused you of telling on him?” She asked. Senkuu stopped talking, then scratched his knee.

“Uh, no, he accused me of…being her boyfriend or something- it’s irrelevant-,” He waved it off, but she interrupted him.

“Why would he accuse you of being her _boyfriend_?”

“Because he saw me hanging out with her- it doesn’t matter. Anyway,” Senkuu grinned, “He grabbed me, but I had this plan with my pen where-,”

“What were you doing with her? Why would he think that?” Senkuu huffed at her, beginning to get annoyed by her interruptions.

“The first time, I ran into her at a 7/11 and he got all bent out of shape. Then he saw me talking to her at the mall- I already told you, it’s irrelevant to the story. I’m trying to explain my plan of stopping Mark from choking me.”

“I think it’s a pretty big deal for a man to think a woman and a kid are dating. Why would he-,”

“I don’t know. He just did. He was crazy. Crazy people think crazy things-,”

“But, he had to have seen her with other guys than you-,”

“_It doesn’t matter_. I’m _trying_ to tell you the rest of the story. Isn’t that what this’s about?”

“It does matter. How-,”

“Do I _look_ like I can understand that kind of reasoning?” He snapped, “He was illogical! I just went to say hi to my teacher, and then he got all paranoid about me. And he threatened me when he saw me walking by her apartment-,”

“Why were you by her apartment?”

“I didn’t know it was _her_ apartment!” He said quickly, “I was going to the blacksmith, and she just happened to live there.” He shook his head, “It’s not like I _wanted_ to walk by her place.” He rolled his eyes, “It was a coincidence.” He huffed. “Anyway, then I-,”

“So, you didn’t know she lived th-,”

“I- I knew she lived in the area-,” He ran his hand through his hair as he looked at the ground, “But, that wasn’t the reason I went.” He looked back at her, “I was going to the _blacksmith_.” His gut turned angrily as he suddenly became aware of his beating heart, “It’s not like I went there just to see _her_.”

“You just ran into her?” She asked, and he shook his head.

“No, I ran into Mark. And that’s why Mark was near her apartment. _He_ was there waiting for her. That’s why he went.”

“But you didn’t go to see her.”

“_No_.” Ayuko looked at him, but remained silent, which for some reason felt _extremely _uncomfortable. “I was just walking by! And then he started getting all pissy about me being there, like I _meant_ to be there or something- which I _wasn’t_.” His stomach twisted further and he could feel his skin getting hot- which was kind of strange. The room’s temperature didn’t increase. He wasn’t sick.

He took a breath.

He tried to steady his heart, and his gut, and his breath. But for some reason, his body didn’t really want to listen. It just wanted to do its own thing.

He looked up at her, and she just stared at him, which was becoming very _off-putting_.

“I didn’t do anything _wrong_.” He reasoned, “He’s the one that accused me of- UGH!” He physically flinched, “It was so _disgusting_.”

“What was?”

“He accused me of- _ugh_. It was so _gross._” He gave Ayuko a strong look, “I don’t _think_ of things like that- but even if I _did_, I would never-,” He covered his face with his hand, “That’s just- that’s so _degrading_.” Ayuko gave a soft hum, but when he looked at her, she didn’t say anything. As if she had nothing to say.

Like she wasn’t convinced.

“Listen, I didn’t feel that way at all! It wasn’t like that.” His heart pounded as his throat got tight and hot- just like the time Mark choked the life out of him. He could feel the hot hands again. He could feel the muscles coiling around his throat. He could feel his throat closing up. “It was different!”

“What was different?” She asked.

“Everything! Everything was different. How I saw her, and what I said to her, it was different than Mark. Mark was _crazy_. He said he loved her, but he was insane. I-,” Senkuu pointed to himself angrily, “I _didn’t_ love her, _obviously_.”

“…I didn’t say you did-,”

“Well everyone else thought so!” He ran his hand through his hair, “They just kept going on and on about what I felt. They didn’t bother to listen to what I had to say.” He rolled his eyes, “And I’m not like my peers,” He glared at the floor, “I didn’t pervert her into some _object_. I respected her- I still do!” He looked at Ayuko, “I _respect her_. I _never_ thought about _anything_ physical-,”

“It’s ok if you did-,”

“But I didn’t!” He viciously pointed at her, “I _never_\- I just- It wasn’t like that.” He stressed as his face prickled with heat, “I just wanted her input on things! I wanted to know what she thought about geology and the university. She so smart, and I just-,” He shook his head, “Mark wanted her attention too, but what he wanted was _entirely _different! I just wanted-,” He clenched his fists, “I’m not _LIKE_ him!”

“Nobody said you were.” She said softly. And he looked up at her, and it was like a wave crashed into him, and he was being pushed down and drowned by the tide. And he couldn’t breath. He was being choked again.

He sat completely still for a moment, shocked at the unfamiliar things he felt, before he quickly got up and turned away from her. The things, the memories and thoughts were just…they screamed in his head as his heart beat angrily in his chest, and his throat seized, and his face prickled with heat and and and and

_Shame_

“…Having feelings for someone…it doesn’t make you a bad person.” She said, her voice soft and gentle, floating to him from far away, “And…physical attraction- even if it’s just a little bit…that’s not evil. That doesn’t make you like him.”

Fire shot through his core, and it burned his legs and arms and back. And his face burned as he clenched his fist, and his other hand held his face because he simply couldn’t understand or make sense of things. He was…he was out of control. He couldn’t control himself. And that wasn’t like him. None of this was like him.

And then his hand felt odd. He felt something hot and wet, and as he pulled his hand away, he saw water. And literally, for a split second, he thought the ceiling was leaking.

_How odd. The ceiling is leaking hot water. But in that case, the carpet should be wet._

He looked down, and the carpet was dry. He looked up, and the ceiling was dry.

He touched his cheek, and it was wet.

He was crying. He blinked, and another tear fell.

Crying. Something so foreign to him, he had forgotten what it was like.

He looked down at his wet hand and grinned. How stupid. How incredibly stupid of him.

And then he was crushed by the overwhelming sense of

_Guilt_

_Shame_

_Humiliation_

_DISGUST_

His hands shook, and his body burned, and his eyes watered. And in that one, small, clarifying moment, he did what he could. He adapted. He solved.

So, he saw the box that Ayuko described. And he shoved all the guilt and shame and humiliation and DISGUST back inside. And he taped it shut.

And he _threw_ it back into the closet.

And he _SLAMMED_ the door shut.

And he replaced it with what was familiar and simple and _true_. He replaced it with formulas and equations. He surrounded himself with numbers and facts.

And then…and then it was gone. It was all gone. He took some shaky breaths as he imagined the box far, far away. It was gone now. It was over. It couldn’t hurt him. Nothing could hurt him.

Because his feelings didn’t matter. None of it mattered. And he saw the city, and the trees, and the sky, and the stars, and he saw his own insignificance. His utter irrelevance to the world.

And he calmed.

And he cooled.

And he was fine.

With steady hands, he quickly wiped the water off his face.

“I think we should end the discussion.” He said simply.

“…Ok.” She said gently, and he took that as his que to turn around. He walked back to his circuit board, sat down, and picked it up again. He then picked up his mini screwdriver to adjust the left part. “…Do you want me to leave?” She asked softly. He looked up at her.

“Why?” He asked, and she blinked.

“Because…” She trailed off, and he grinned at her.

“It’s fine. Like I said, that stuff is over now. It doesn’t bother me. What’s done is done.” He nodded at her, “If you feel uncomfortable, you can go.”

“No…no. That’s ok.”

“Ok.” He shrugged, and then went back to work. Ayuko gave him one more concerned look before she went back to her own task at hand. And soon they fell into a different conversation. And soon, as far as Senkuu was concerned, the whole thing was behind them.

They were back at the university, once again working on the cadaver. Which was odd, because they had already finished their research notes on it.

Senkuu was digging around inside (and showing zero respect for the body) as he talked about the difficulty of open surgery on a living person compared to a dissection of a cadaver.

“You see, the organs are alive, so-,” He was interrupted when something popped it’s head out from behind the right lung. Senkuu yelped before the mouse sniffed at him and climbed out. “Wha-Why-,”

“Subject 14?” Ayuko asked as she looked down at the mouse. It looked up at her, winked, then flew off the table and ran for the door.

“You can’t just-GET BACK HERE!” Senkuu yelled as he dropped his tools and ran after the mouse.

“I’ll get him!” Ayuko said as she also ran after it. The mouse scurried and shoved himself under the door, and when the two students opened it, they looked out into an open field.

“Huh…I don’t recall the university backing onto a meadow.” Senkuu said as he walked out. He looked around, confused by the whole thing. Ayuko took only a moment to look at the beautiful sight before she spotted Subject 14 and ran after him. The mouse ran through the flowers and tall grass before he hid amongst a group of white roses. Ayuko knelt beside them and reached in, pricking herself several times before she caught the little animal. Senkuu came up to her just as she stood up, mouse in hand. “Good job, assistant.” He grinned to her, and she smiled.

“It was a team effort.” She said, and the mouse squeaked. Senkuu chuckled and crossed his arms.

“I just don’t know what I’m going to do with you.” He said before he looked back up at Ayuko. And then they stared at one another, and her smile faltered, and his grin faded.

And they stared at one another. The light breeze beginning to pick up speed, the grass and flowers beginning to sway.

And they stared at one another as they both smelled the storm coming.

“I…I just don’t know what I’m going to do with you.” He said honestly as he looked at her. And then for some strange, unknown reason, he reached out and touched her cheek. She flinched at the touch but didn’t pull away.

“…Senkuu-,”

“Ayuko, I-,”

Sunlight broke through the curtains on a warm Sunday morning. Tired, sleepy eyes blinked slowly and tried to fight away from the light. But it was too late. The dawn had come. The dream was over. And all that was left was confusion, and anxiety and _shame_. How humiliating. A dream like that. Of course, it couldn’t be a normal dream about science experiments. Of course, it couldn’t be a normal dream about chasing one’s goals.

No. It had to be some sort of weird, subconscious, _slightly romantic_ dream.

Ayuko groaned as she rolled over, away from the light. What a stupid dream. Why did her mind do this to her? She didn’t need any secret messages from the depths of her mind. She had enough things to worry about.

And she wasn’t an idiot. _As if_ he would secretly have feelings for her. She wasn’t _stupid_. If anything, he was just neutral to her. He was just using her until Taiju came back anyway.

_And what happens when Taiju does comes back?_

_I get kicked to the curb. Forgotten about. Like usual._

Same story, different characters. So, why did she keep doing this to herself? Tatako had already warned her that Senkuu had no romantic interests in people, and he also didn’t always recognize when he was using people- which he obviously _was_.

But he wasn’t using her. He needed her. He had _specifically _said he needed _her_.

_He’s going to get tired of you soon. It’s best to end it now. Start creating distance. Start making excuses not to help him._

But, it was nice to be needed. It was nice to have someone tell her she was important, and that no one else could do the job.

_You’re replaceable._

True…but at the moment she wasn’t. And if she worked hard, then he wouldn’t replace her. If she studied and made herself useful, then he’d have no need to replace her. She’d always be the top choice.

_Is that why I put everything else aside? Shouldn’t I put my needs ahead of his?_

Her phone buzzed noisily on her bedside table, and she wearily reached up and grabbed it. She flipped it open to see a new message.

_8:02 am_

_I hope you’re awake. If not, you better get up. I have an emergency that I need you to deal with. How soon can you get here?_

She blinked her tired eyes at the phone. There it was. Another call for her to follow him without question. And of course, Senkuu didn’t ask if she was busy. To him, nothing was as important as his work. All other things came second. Her _life_ came second. As if her whole world revolved around him.

_How incredibly selfish_.

If she was smart, she’d tell him she was too busy. She’d brush him off. She’d teach him she actually _did_ have better things to do than follow his command.

And yet, she was already texting him back as she got out of bed. Already, she was getting ready for whatever emergency he had.

_8:02am_

_I’ll be there as soon as I can. _

Already, she was ready to jump. Like always, she was at his beck and call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a few notes here.  
1) I hope Senkuu wasn't OOC. It was hard to write the scene where he kinds of...breaks down because we don't really see that in the canon story. It was originally VERY emotional, but I had to tune it back a bit. Also, I hope the philosophical discussion wasn't too out there for anyone. 
> 
> 2) Is Ayuko ok as a character? It was surprisingly hard to write her because she's kind of shy like Miyuki, but she can also be confident like Tatako (but she isn't as bold as Tatako). Not to mention, she can be mature, but she still needs to be a 14 year old girl. I don't know. It was hard.
> 
> 3) Senkuu's and Ayuko's relationship is pretty complicated, and not overly healthy. I'm not saying that what Senkuu is doing is right, or that Ayuko is right. I'm just writing about how they treat one another. And it's about to get a lot worse in the next chapter (two 14 year olds acting like they're adults when they have no idea how relationships work is a bad mix). 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it! Please comment if you have the time. I always appreciate feedback and discussions. Thanks! Have a good evening!


	7. Age 14 (Beginning of June)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YO! This thing-this chapter was 59 pages long! So I had to cut it in two. So here's a double update!! 
> 
> Anyway!  
I figured out why it was so hard to write Ayuko. It's because this girl doesn't even know who she is. She keeps switching between mature and young and shy and outgoing because she's still trying to figure herself out. So, I'm giving myself a little slack here for finding her hard to pinpoint. 
> 
> ALSO! There were some songs that helped me write this chapter. First of all is Zina by Babylon. It's a very sweet song, and the moment I heard it I was like, 'this is young affection'. You know, when you're knew to the whole 'feelings' game, and you're just trying to figure things out and its all kind of confusing but also really sweet. Yeah. The lyrics don't really apply to the chapter (it's in Arabic, but the translation doesn't really have much to do with the characters) but the sound is really nice.  
Also, Ayuko has a sad scene near the end. The whole thing was inspired by Drift Away by Caleb Hyles (a cover of Drift Away from Steven Universe)
> 
> Also, the story gets kind of sad at times. Sorry.
> 
> So anyway, yeah. There you have it. Oh! And there are a few experiments done in this chapter that were directly taken from videos by The Thought Emporium (A YouTuber) so, all the creativity of these experiments go to him.  
Anyway, get some tea, get comfy, and get ready for a long read people. I'll see you at the end!

Age: 14

Ayuko got to Senkuu’s place around 10am. She knocked on his apartment door and waited a few moments before his father answered the door. Mr. Ishigami looked at her in confusion as he opened the door.

“Oh, hey Fukinawa. What brings you here?”

“I’ve been summoned.” She said sarcastically as the man scratched his beard.

“Yeah, I guessed as much. You know, you don’t have to help out Senkuu if you have other things to do. I know he often forgets that people have other priorities other than science.”

“It’s fine,” She shrugged, “I don’t have much to do anyway.”

“Well, if you-,”

“Fukinawa!” Senkuu shouted from inside, “Get in here! We have an emergency!” Byakuya rolled his eyes as he stepped aside to let the girl in. She quickly took off her shoes and walked to her friend’s room.

“Remember what I said. If you have better things to do, just tell him off!” The man called out, and Ayuko nodded at him.

“I’ll keep it in mind, thanks!” She made her way to the science room (which was actually a guest room but transformed into Senkuu’s mini lab). She half expected to see smoke or fire, but when she opened the door, everything seemed to be normal.

Save for Senkuu’s angry pacing. He immediately looked at her and frowned.

“We have a problem.”

“Yeah, I guessed as much. What’s wrong, boss?” She asked as she came in. Senkuu sighed angrily and ran a hand down his face as he spoke.

“It’s Subject 14-,”

“Him again?”

“_Yes_, _him again_. He- you know what? Look for yourself.” He growled as he waved at the retirement cage. Ayuko walked up and looked inside. Everything seemed normal. One mouse was sitting in the corner grooming itself while another ran on one of the many exercise wheels. But one mouse came up to her and sat down in expectation.

“Hello again.” She smiled as she opened the top of the cage and reached in. The mouse sat by patiently as she gave him a little scratch on the head. “You are just the cutest little thing-,”

“He’s not cute. He’s a _menace_-,”

“Everything seems normal to me-,”

“The houses. Look in _the houses_.” Senkuu growled again. Ayuko moved her hand away from the mouse and picked up one of the little houses. As soon as she lifted it up, shavings and fluff spilled out from under it, which left a kind of weird ball made of wood chips and other things. And she studied enough about mice to know what that was.

“So, you have baby mice?” She asked as she gently teared a little opening to look inside. “That’s not too-,”

“_8 litters. _I have _8 litters _of _mice_.” He cut her off as he stormed over, “Do you know how _many_ mice come in a _litter_?!”

“…about 5-6-,”

“THAT’S 40 MICE! That little BASTARD impregnated _every single female_ in the _cage_!” Senkuu shouted as he pointed an accusatory finger at Subject 14 (who seemed unfazed).

“…I mean, I’m not mad. That’s pretty impressive-,”

“It’s TERRIBLE!”

“Well, you should have seen this coming.” She said as she looked over at him, “What did you think would happen between mice that weren’t fixed? It’s natural-,”

“But he _is _FIXED. I neuter _every male _in order to control breeding- but somehow,” He snarled, “Somehow he’s still able to BREED.” Ayuko rose her eyebrows and looked at Subject 14 again, who looked up at her happily.

“Wow. Way to beat the odds-,”

“This isn’t a GOOD THING, Ayuko!” He shouted.

“Why not? Now you have extra test mice.”

“I have _enough test mice_.”

“Well…You could start a whole new experiment with a whole new batch of subjects.” She suggested. Senkuu ran his hands through his hair and sighed.

“Do you know how hard it is to keep the smell down in this room? If I don’t keep up a cleaning schedule, these room _reeks_. And now I have _40 more_.” He closed his eyes, “What am I going to do? I can’t just release them.”

“You could sell them as snake food.” She said, and Senkuu suddenly looked down at her.

“…That’s a little dark for you.” He said, and she crossed her arms.

“It’s a circle of life for animals. If you didn’t use these mice as food, some other mice would be food. Either way, some mouse is going to be used for food.” He lowered his hands and continued to look at her.

“…You’ve changed.”

“I’ve become more practical.” She said as she looked back at the mice, “Anyway, if you don’t sell them as feeders you could always sell them as test mice to the university.” She suggested. He nodded as he rubbed his chin, “Or you could sell them as pets. Mice are popular pets now a days.”

“True…” He said before sighing again, “This is going to set me back.”

“I could take care of it.” She said, and he suddenly looked at her again.

“You could?”

“Sure,” She smiled, “I know how to take care of mice. It’d be a piece of cake. Then I can figure out where to send them afterwards.” He grinned at her and nodded.

“I’d appreciate it.” He frowned, “But you’re going to need a large cage and supplies…” He then looked off and walked to his desk. “Let’s head to the pet store. We can buy the necessary items and set you up.” He pulled out his wallet from a drawer, “We can discuss what to do with them on the way.”

“Ok.” She smiled. “Sounds fun.”

The two spent the rest of the day setting up the cage and transporting the mice to Ayuko’s apartment. They then came back to his place to have hot pot with Byuakuya. They were going to watch a documentary about laser eye surgery, but Byakuya told them it was time for Ayuko to go home, so the three of them walked back to her place. After saying goodbye, the two Ishigami’s walked down the apartment stairs and onto the street below.

“Well, that was nice.” Byakuya said. Senkuu looked ahead.

“What was?”

“Having dinner with Fukinawa.”

“Yeah. Sure.” Senkuu shrugged. They walked for another minute before Byakuya spoke again.

“She’s been having dinner at our place a lot lately.”

“Has she? I didn’t notice.” The boy mumbled. He was already planning ahead to his newest idea. Something to do with the mice…

“In fact, she’s been over almost every day for the last few weeks.” His father said. At this point, Senkuu just shrugged. He was only half paying attention. Perhaps he could infect the mice with something that made their urine less potent. That way-,

“Senkuu.”

“Mm.”

“Senkuu.” His father said more sternly, and the boy looked at him in annoyance.

“What? I’m busy thinking about something.” He said and his father rolled his eyes.

“Fine. I’ll get to the point.” He said, “I want to know what’s going on between you and Fukinawa.” Senkuu blinked at him.

“Is that it? She’s been helping me work on my projects. That’s why she’s been coming over lately.”

“I don’t think that’s the whole story.” Byakuya said and for some reason that hit a nerve.

“If you have something you’d like to say, say it.” Senkuu said bluntly.

“Are you and Fukinawa dating?” Byakuya asked, and Senkuu was so caught off guard that he stopped walking for a moment.

“What?!” He croaked. His father stopped walking and looked behind him.

“I asked if you two wer-,”

“Yeah! Yeah, I get what you said!” Senkuu said in annoyance, “Why would you even ask that? Of course we’re not dating. That’s ridiculous.” He said as he began to walk again. His father followed step beside him.

“Well, it sure looks like you two are dating-,”

“Well we’re NOT.” The boy snapped. Byakuya sighed before he spoke again.

“Senkuu, I know the idea that you two dating might seem ridiculous, but-,”

“It _is._”

“_But_, it’s the impression you’re giving off. And I’m worried that Ayuko might not be on the same page of you-,”

“What are you _talking_ about? Nothing about our interactions even _begins_ to imply that we’re dating. And Ayuko knows that I’m not interested in that at this age- or _ever_, so even if she _did_ want to date me, she’d know it’s not going to happen.”

“You’re wrong.”

“_Excuse me_?”

“You’re wrong.” Byakuya said, a bit more sternly, “You’re spending too much time together to just be friends. And you’re constantly texting each other-,”

“About work-,”

“The topic doesn’t matter! What matters is the time you spend on each other. And you might not see that as an implication of a romantic relationship, but I’m telling you now, Fukinawa is going to get the wrong impression.”

“Don’t be stupid.”

“I’m _serious_, Senkuu. At your age, kids usually show their interest in someone by showing favouritism. She knows you aren’t spending this much time with other kids, so she’s going to get the wrong idea-,”

“That’s-,”

“_Let me finish._” Byakuya said, and Senkuu stopped talking and huffed. The man continued, “There’s also the matter of her home life. We both know her father is a complete failure, and I’m guessing by the amount of time she spends at our place that she doesn’t get a lot of attention at home. That means she’s turning to you for the kind of affection she _should_ be getting from a family member.” Byakuya let out a small breath, “Senkuu, you need to understand. You’re not old enough for that kind of responsibility. If she’s not spending time with other friends, and isn’t getting any kind of affection at home, then she’s going to look to you as a source of comfort and support- if she hasn’t already started to do so.” Senkuu frowned but remained quiet. His father continued, “If you don’t make it clear to Ayuko that your relationship is purely platonic, she’s going to reason that you’re in a romantic relationship, which then means she’s going to completely rely on you for her emotional well being. Which is something you are _not ready for_.”

“You’re wrong.” Senkuu said.

“I’m not-,”

“Ayuko’s smarter than that. She can take care of herself.” He looked over at his father with a steady gaze, “And she knows me by now. She knows I’m not interested in that-,”

“It doesn’t matter if you’re _interested or not_. What matters is that _you’re_ the person she spends the most time with. _You’re_ one of the few people giving her positive attention- and because she sees you everyday, that means you’re the _main provider_ for that.” Braykuya scratched his cheek, “It isn’t a conscious thing. She probably doesn’t realize she’s doing it- but she is. And if you don’t clear things up soon, then your relationship is going to get a _lot_ more complicated _and_ painful. Fast.”

“She’s stronger than you think. I’ve seen her work. She more mature than you give her credit.”

“Perhaps with academics. But _not_ with emotions. I think she’s actually a lot weaker than you realize- I think she’s a lot closer to a breaking point than we think. And if a family member isn’t around- someone who _should_ be helping her and emotionally supporting her- then when she _does_ break, she’s going to turn to _you_ to fix it.” Byakuya looked at his son, “And we both know you aren’t-,”

“She isn’t some kid!” Senkuu snapped, “She’s more mature than you think! She’s lasted this long-,”

“Barely! She’s barely kept it together, and I don’t want you to be the one to have to pick up the pieces of her life and try to make things better. You are _too _young and _too_ immature for that kind of responsibility.”

“That isn’t going to happen.” Senkuu said more quietly, “You’re wrong.”

“I’m not.” Byakuya took a breath, “As your father, I’m telling you to clear things up with her.” Senkuu rolled his eyes, “And I don’t want her over as often-,”

“Why?!” Senkuu asked, his voice getting slightly louder.

“Because you two need to put some distance between you. You’ve gotten too close too fast-,”

“That doesn’t even-,”

“_And_ she is _not allowed_ to stay overnight in our apartment.”

“What does- you’re being stupid!” Byakuya narrowed his eyes at him, “What does it matter if she sleeps over! She slept over all the time when we were kids.”

“That’s different and you _know_ it-,”

“If we’re not _dating_, who cares if she sleeps over! We’re just friends. Taiju randomly sleeps over-,”

“Yeah, but I’m not worried about something going on between you and _Taiju_ when I’m not around.” Byakuya said sternly. Senkuu scrunched up his face.

“What would-,” He then flinched, “Don’t be disgusting! As if something like that- you know I don’t care about those kinds of things! I’d never-,”

“I know you, but I _don’t_ know Ayuko. And I don’t trust a teenage girl who wants romantic attention from my son alone, at night, in my home-,”

“She isn’t-,”

“This isn’t open to negotiation, Senkuu. I’m _telling_ you. She is _not_ allowed to sleep over. And she _will_ be spending less time at our house. Is that clear?”

“You’re being paranoid! And stupid! And- unreasonable-,”

“Is that clear?”

“All we do is work together! How is she supposed to help me if she can hardly come over!”

“Senkuu-,”

“And what if I need her to pull an all nighter with me?-,”

“_Senkuu._”

“And what if she’s having trouble at home?! I can’t just send her back! A few years ago, you got all pissed off at me because I didn’t want her to stay over, and _now_ you’re saying-,”

“Is that clear, Senkuu?”

“-that she can’t?! You’re always going on about me helping people, and making friends other than Taiju, but then when I do-,”

“_Is that clear, _Senkuu?” Byakuya growled.

“-you turn around and get all pissy! You’re being ridiculous-,”

“_Is. That. Clear?_” His father barked. Senkuu shut his mouth and ground his teeth. He looked defiantly into his father’s eyes, but even as he straightened his back and stood his ground, he knew he wasn’t going to win this fight. He didn’t own the apartment. In the end, he didn’t have the final say in who could stay and who had to go. He narrowed his eyes, but his father kept him on a steady gaze. They remained silent for a moment, staring each other down, before finally Senkuu caved. He angrily lowered his eyes.

“Yes, _sir.” _He sneered. But Byakuya was unfazed. He simply nodded, then continued to walk again. Senkuu waited a moment, let out an angry breath, then followed his father. The two walked in silence the rest of the way home.

That night, Senkuu decided to text Ayuko that they couldn’t hang out as much. But instead of going about the subject slowly and easing her into it, he just got straight to the point.

_10:24 pm_

_Hey. Byakuya says we can’t hang out as much anymore, so you don’t have to come over tomorrow. We’ll figure out some sort of schedule so that we get work done, but don’t piss him off too much. Also, he’s heading to Russia in two weeks for space training, so while he’s gone we can just hang out like usual._

Senkuu sent the text and went back to researching about viruses. Infecting the mice with a virus could make their urine less potent. But then again, maybe he should do a practice round first? Make a different kind of virus that would infect one subject. Then he could monitor the progress-,

_10:24 pm_

_Why can’t we hang out as much? Is he mad at me?_

Senkuu looked at his phone and quickly wrote out a reply.

_10:25 pm_

_He’s just freaked out that we’re spending too much time together. I think he’s afraid I’m going to get you pregnant or something. _

He went back to researching, figuring the conversation was over. Two minutes later, his phone buzzed again.

_10:27 pm_

_What?_

Senkuu texted with one hand while scrolling down on his laptop with the other.

_10:27 pm_

_I guess he thinks I’m some kind of animal that will inevitably impregnate a female if I spend too much time with it. I don’t know. I stopped trying to understand his reasoning a long time ago. Anyway, the point is, we’ll have to hang out less. You can come by the day after tomorrow to help me out._

He put the phone down and only read two sentences on his laptop before it buzzed again.

_10:28 pm_

_Why does he think I’ll get pregnant? What have you been telling him???_

Senkuu huffed, now becoming a bit annoyed at being interrupted.

_10:28 pm_

_Nothing. He’s just being weird. I told you, it’s pointless to try and understand his thought process. We’ll just have to hang out a bit less before he goes off to Russia. Anyway, I’m doing some research now, so I’ll text you later._

A minute went by before his phone buzzed again.

_10:29 pm_

_I’m just saying it’s weird that your father would think I’d get pregnant. But if you say not to worry about it, I won’t. Just…keep me up to date on what’s going on. Please?_

_10:30 pm_

_Will do._

_10:30 pm_

_Thanks. Ok…goodnight. I’ll talk to you tomorrow._

_10:31 pm_

_Talk to you tomorrow._

And then Senkuu put down his phone, and it stopped buzzing.

And so, they followed a new schedule. Every other day, Ayuko would come over and help out. It was a bit bothersome, since things would go a lot more quickly if she was over more often, but Senkuu figured he’d get used to it. Though he was ticked off at his father, it wasn’t worth fighting over. Byakuya hadn’t forbidden them from spending time together, so he figured that was a start. And eventually, when he got to know Ayuko more, he’d trust her more.

Two weeks passed, and Byakuya went off to Russia (but not before sitting Senkuu down and giving him another lecture about giving Ayuko space and letting her make other friends- all of which Senkuu nodded along lazily). And as soon as he left, Ayuko came over.

Though, she hesitated in his doorway.

“Didn’t your father want us to spend less time together?”

“Yeah.” Senkuu said as he stood in the hallway, waiting for her to follow.

“Then…maybe I shouldn’t come over so soon-,”

“It’s fine,” Senkuu said as he waved her off, “He won’t know you’ve been over. Besides, I really need your help today.”

“Well…ok…if you say so.” She shrugged, closed the door behind her, and took off her shoes before putting on her slippers. She then followed him to his experiment room. “What are we working on today?”

“We’re going to build a DC sputter magnetron.” He said.

“Oh. Of course. I should have guessed.” She sighed.

“Do I hear a hint of sarcasm?” Senkuu grinned as he opened the door and went inside.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, boss.” She mumbled as she followed him in. He walked over to his half built contraption.

“I have the chamber all set up, as well as the gas and vacuum. I just need to create the cooling system for the magnet so it doesn’t loose it’s magnetism due to heat. I also need to finish the electrical work.”

“Ok. Quick question. What does it do exactly?” She asked, and he quickly turned to her.

“It coats objects in a thin layer of metal using plasma.”

“Alright.” She said, and he smiled.

“See, it’s great I don’t have to explain what that means.”

“I’ve been reading.” She smiled back.

“Good. Then I’ll explain how to set up the electrical to you before I work on the cooling system. Sound good?” She nodded, and he got his blue prints out before explaining the whole process to her. They worked for an hour, each focusing on their own project, before finally putting the system together. Ayuko examined the glass container as Senkuu put on his safety goggles.

“It looks good but…isn’t this jar a little thin?”

“It’s fine. It’s large, so it has a bigger surface area, and the thickness shouldn’t be a problem.” He handed her his spare safety goggles, “Besides, if anything happens it’ll implode, so there isn’t any real danger.”

“If you say so.” She said with a shrug as she put on her own goggles. They both walked to the far end of the room before Senkuu turned off the lights and twisted the gas valve to the side. He then held up the remote.

“First test of the Magnetron Sputtering machine. Beginning in 3, 2, 1.” He flipped the switch and the room with filled with a soft buzzing noise. The two waited in the dim room for the chamber to light up and the plasma to begin to work, however nothing happened. The jar remained dark, though the machine was clearly on. They waited a few seconds before Senkuu sighed and flipped the switch off. “Well, the first test virtually never works. Let’s try to find the problem.” He turned on the lights and walked up to the contraption. Ayuko removed her goggles and looked around. He quickly checked the circuits before looking over the cooling system for any holes.

Nothing.

Ayuko examined the table for any obvious flaws while he went to the vacuum beside the Argon container. And immediately he saw the problem. The vacuum wasn’t on. The plasma wouldn’t even begin to react if he didn’t have a vacuumed container.

“The heat is still on.” Ayuko said as Senkuu rolled his eyes at his own stupid mistake. He had set it up to turn on via remote control, but if he had to do it manually so be it. He’d just do it before turning on the Argon-

And he didn’t even turn off the Argon gas! Senkuu hit his head and sighed in annoyance. What was he in, preschool? Not only was there Oxygen and H20 inside the container, but now he was needlessly pumping it full of Argon too. Such a stupid mistake.

“I’ll just turn it off-,” And then the most horrifying sound broke the silence. A loud, angry cracking noise filled the air. And in less then a second, he made several connections. There wasn’t a vacuum, so the container was filled with air. And the Argon was on, so now the container was being filled with no where for the gas to go. And the heat was still on, meaning the air inside the container was expanding.

And the glass was thin.

And Ayuko was standing right beside it.

Without her goggles on.

He didn’t even take a breath. With the air that he already had in his lungs, he opened his mouth to cry out to her. But what should he say? Telling her to get down would require him to close his mouth to sound the letter ‘G’ or ‘D’, and he didn’t have time for that. And she didn’t have time to get down. All she had time to do was look away.

So, with a lifetime of practice in self restraint, he didn’t turn to her. He kept his back to the glass as he suddenly screamed.

“AYUK-,” Something violently shattered, but Senkuu had already covered his head and dove for the ground. Before he hit the floor, he heard her let out a scream of surprise.

And then nothing.

It finished as fast as it happened. And Senkuu got up as soon as he hit the ground.

“Ayuko!” He called out as he scrambled against the glass shards littering the floor. She was lying on the floor, her back to the ceiling and her arms covering her face. “Ayuko,” He quickly looked at her back, and thankfully it seemed to be ok. There were tears in her shirt, but they could be relatively superficial. “Are you ok?”

“I-I’m ok.” She stuttered as she slowly lifted her head to look at him, “I’m ok. That j-just…it scared me.” She took a few breaths before sitting up, “What happened?”

“The vacuum wasn’t working, but I forgot to turn off the gas, and with the heat on it caused the air to expand and destroy the container.” He breathed, relieved she was alright.

“I thought you said it’d implode if something went wrong.”

“If there was a vacuum, it would have. But in our case…” He looked at the glass covered floor, “There must have been a small chip in the container I wasn’t aware of.” He then sighed, “At least we’re both ok.”

“Yeah. That really scared me.” She said as she put her hand on her chest, probably to calm her racing heart. Senkuu gave a small grin.

“Well, science can be scary sometimes. But we were lucky- you were lucky. You could have lost your eyes.”

“Yeah…wow…” She said while looking at all the glass. Senkuu took another breath before getting up.

“Well, I think the first thing we should do is clean up all this glass. I also want to check on the mice to make sure they weren’t hurt.”

“I can do that if you want to get started on cleaning the floor.” She said as she got up too.

“Alright. I’ll get you the first aid kit in case any of them have any cuts.” Ayuko walked past him and to the cages, “The cages are above the level of the desk, so they should be ok, but-,” As soon as he looked up, he saw her back.

And the red seeping through her white shirt.

He stopped talking, thought for only a second before immediately going up to her and pulling up the back of her shirt.

“WHA-,”

“Be quiet!” He hissed as he looked at her bare back. And what he saw shouldn’t have surprised him, because it was the direct result of having one’s back to a glass explosion. Hundreds of little shards were embedded into her skin as small beads of blood began to form at each one. And some were already past being a drop of blood. Some were already forming small rivers that ran down her back, slowly getting larger as they ran into one another.

And for a split second, he felt panic and fear. He felt his hands shake as his breath caught in his throat. He did this. This was his fault. He shouldn’t have been so casual. He shouldn’t have left the gas on. He shouldn’t have-,

_I don’t have time for this. She needs immediate medical attention._

So that’s what he did. He shut down his fear and worry and guilt. He switched gears and did what he always did. He got to work.

“You’re bleeding, and if we don’t treat it soon, you could lose a good amount of blood or get an infection.” He let go of her shirt and grabbed her arm, already dragging her to the kitchen (and turning off the Argon gas along the way), “I need to remove those glass pieces from your back. Then, we can bandage the wound and take you to a hospital.”

“What-I-hold on-,”

“I need you to sit down and stay as still as possible.” He grabbed a chair, turned it around, and gently (but firmly) sat her down with her chest facing the back of the chair. “I’m going to get the first aid kit and some water-,”

“But I’m not in any pain-,”

“That’s because you’re in shock. Now _don’t move_.” He said sternly before quickly getting his supplies. He was fast and efficient because he knew what he was looking for. He knew what he needed. And though Ayuko seemed bothered by his orders, she still followed them. She remained quiet and still as he gathered his supplies and brought them to the table.

“Here,” He said as he gave her a glass of water and a pill, “This will help with the pain.”

“But I’m not _in_ pain.”

“You will be soon. Now take it.”

“What is it?”

“Something I made a while ago because I didn’t want to get addicted to opioids.” She hesitantly took the pill as he finished setting up. He then grabbed a chair and sat down behind her before grabbing the scissors and cutting into her shirt.

“Wh-HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” She yelled angrily as she tried to turn to him.

“I need to open your shirt- I SAID DON’T MOVE-,”

“I HAPPEN TO LIKE THIS SHIRT-,”

“WHO CARES? I’m more concerned about BLOOD LOSS than saving a SHIRT.” He yelled back before firmly pressing her shoulder to make her face forward again, “And I said DON’T MOVE!”

“YOU CAN’T JUST-,”

“I’M TRYING TO HELP Y-,”

“-CUT A GIRLS SHIRT! This is SUPER INAPPRO-,”

“We can discuss what is APPROPRIATE in EMERGENCY SITUATIONS LATER.” He snapped as he cut a line up the rest of her shirt and opened it up.

“This is ridiculous. You’re ridiculous.” She said quietly as she buried her face in her arms. He reached over for the tweezers.

“I’ll buy you a new shirt. Now, stop talking. I need to concentrate.” He said as he looked at her back. The bleeding was getting worse. He dipped a small portion of a towel in warm water before he lightly dabbed her back. With some of the blood (momentarily) gone, he got to work. He started at the top of her back and carefully began to pluck out the tiny shards of glass. Each one he would drop into a bowl before dabbing the wound and moving onto another.

And he continued.

After 15 minutes, he spoke.

“How are you? Do you feel any pain?”

“A little…” She mumbled.

“The medicine should be kicking in by now. It’ll also make your drowsy, so if you want to fall asleep that’s fine. You’re in a steady enough position that you’ll stay up.”

“Mmm.” Was all she said, so he continued in silence. After another 15 minutes, he spoke again.

“How do you feel?”

“Mmm.”

“Do you feel any pain?”

“Mmm-mm.” She breathed.

“Ok.” And he continued. He didn’t allow his mind to wander off into thoughts of worry and guilt. He just focused on his task at hand. Remove each and every piece of glass. Clean the wounds. Dress the wounds. Take Ayuko to the hospital. Clean the room.

Check the mice.

…

Remove each and every piece of glass. Clean the wounds. Dress the wounds. Quickly check on the mice. Take Ayuko to the hospital. Clean the room.

After an hour, her shoulders and back were clear of any large shards (and he had cleaned and temporarily bandaged the deepest wounds). He then got his magnify glasses in order to find the smallest glass shards. And after two hours, he meticulously went over her back once more to make sure he got every single little piece of glass.

With an aching back, he sat up and sighed.

“Alright. I’ll disinfect your wounds and then dress them.” He said as he leaned back to stretch his back. “Then I’ll take you to the hospital.”

“Nmmm.” She moaned (the first noise she made in well over an hour).

“What?”

“Nmmm.” She moaned again as she tried to move. He quickly (but gently) held her in place.

“Don’t move.” He said, and she mumbled something in reply. “What?”

“Don’t…”

“Don’t what?”

“Don’t wanna go hos…” She mumbled again. He sighed as he opened the rubbing alcohol and drenched a paper towel in it.

“You have to go to the hospital. I just removed well over 500 glass shards from your back. Someone needs to take a look at you.” He held up the paper towel. “Also, this is going to hurt. A lot.”

“I don’t wa-AHH!” She hissed and tensed as he dabbed her wounds.

“Well, I don’t care if you don’t want to go. You have to.”

“I’ll be…alone.” She mumbled. He continued to dab her back as she continued to hiss at him.

“You won’t be. I’ll be there.”

“And then you’ll leave…everyone leaves…” She said sadly before hissing again. He finished with the paper towel and put it aside.

“But the doctors will know how to take care of you.”

“I don’t want to go…” She said sleepily.

“You have to.”

“Please…”

“Ayuko-,”

“Please…” She said weakly. He looked at her back, then at the mess on the table. Maybe…

_No, she has to go._

But she just seemed so sad…

_It’s better to be sad and healthy than happy and in pain._

But did she really need to go?

He let out a soft sigh as he looked at her back again. There were so many cuts…would any of them leave a scar? And then he looked down at his hands.

Covered in dry blood. In her blood.

“No,” He said as he strengthened his resolve and grabbed the large bandages, “You’re going to the hospital. After I dress your wounds, I’m going to call an ambulance.”

“But-,”

“I’m telling you, not asking you.” He said sternly as he began to place the pads on her back. She let out a small whimper, but other than that remained silent and still.

It didn’t take long for the ambulance to arrive (they knew where he lived because of all the minor accidents in the past). He greeted the paramedic he recognized and explained the situation, and then they were off. Senkuu went along with them to make sure Ayuko got the care she needed, and soon they were in a hospital room, Ayuko face down on a hospital bed while a doctor examined her back.

“Well, it seems you got all the glass out.” The doctor said as he moved up to examine her shoulder, “Though, it might have been wise to bring her to the hospital first.”

“I knew what I was doing.” Senkuu said, and the doctor sighed as he stood back up and removed his mask.

“Ishigami, I’ve told you this before and I’ll tell you again, sometimes you need to leave things to the professionals.” The doctor picked up his clipboard and took some notes, “Though you did a good job, it could have gotten worse. Not to mention, if the shard was large enough, then-,”

“I’d need to leave it in to keep her from bleeding out.” Senkuu looked into the doctor’s eyes, “I know.” The doctor sighed again.

“Just…please, be careful when taking things into your own hands.” The doctor finished writing his notes and handed the clipboard to the nurse. “Ms. Fukinawa will be spending the night for observation. Please bandage up her wounds and check on her frequently.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Thank you.” He looked back at Senkuu, “And thank you for bringing her here, Ishigami. And thank you for giving all the information on the drug you gave her. Your notes were very…thorough.”

“You’re welcome.”

“And you said this medicine is from a small company in…”

“Taiwan.”

“Right…Taiwan…” The doctor looked Senkuu over before sighing, “And, on a side note, you are aware that creating a drug and practicing medicine without a license is a crime?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” He hesitated for only a moment, “And just so we’re clear, if this girl has a negative reaction to the medication from ‘Taiwan’, I will not hesitate to send the ‘individual’ who made this medicine to court.”

“I know.” Senkuu said as he kept a steady gaze. The doctor narrowed his eyes slightly, stared Senkuu down, then sighed again.

“Alright. Just so we’re clear…” He looked back at the nurse, “Have you contacted her parents?”

“I left a voice mail.”

“Please let me know as soon as you get a hold of them. I want to make sure her family knows she’s here.”

“Yes, doctor.”

“Ok.” He looked back at Senkuu one last time. “Will you be staying here?”

“For a bit, yeah.”

“Well, don’t make any trouble.” He grinned, and Senkuu smirked in return.

“I’ll try not to.” The two nodded to each other, and then the doctor left. Senkuu waited as the nurse rebandaged Ayuko’s wounds, and then left as well, leaving him and Ayuko alone. He sighed as he shimmied the chair he was on over to her bedside, then looked her over once more. She was out like a light but didn’t seem in any pain. She seemed pretty peaceful actually. He sighed again. He really messed up today. It wasn’t like him to treat an experiment so casually. Normally he’d be on top of things, but this time…

This time, someone got hurt.

Of course, that was always a risk. But still…

He stared at her as his mind went over the events of the past few days. Byakuya lecturing him, Ayuko coming over, Taiju still spending all his time at baseball practice…

He had to admit, he missed his friend. When was the last time he and Taiju hung out? Of course, they had lunch together and walked to school together. But most of Taiju’s time was spent with his team now…

He wasn’t mad at his friend. He understood what it was like to be committed to something. And though he had no interest in sports, he admired Taiju’s sense of hard work and dedication. But still, he missed him. He missed laughing with him and lecturing him. He even missed Taiju going on random tangents about how amazing Yuzuriha was, even if it was kind of annoying and strange.

He also missed-

Something fell in the hallway and Senkuu quickly came out of his thoughts. But then it was quiet again. Someone must have dropped something. But when he looked back at Ayuko, he was surprised to see his fingers in her hair. Not deep, just…kind of on the surface.

_When did that happen?_

He moved his fingers through her hair and out before looking at his hand. When had he started doing that? Was he petting her? Why would he pet her? Did people often pet each other?

He looked around the room, perplexed. But the room held no answers. It was just silent and slowly growing darker with the end of the day. He looked back at his hand. He never pet Byakuya…though his father had patted his head on occasion. But he never ran his fingers though Senkuu’s hair. That was a bit…weird. Actually, this whole thing was weird. It was a little…too intimate, for his liking. He frowned and retracted his hand. He didn’t like that he instinctually started doing that. And he didn’t like what that said about him.

Of course, he didn’t stay the night (he had to leave after visiting hours), but he was right back the next day. He was sitting by her side, reading a book with his feet propped up on her bed when he heard her speak.

“Your feet smell.” She mumbled in annoyance. Senkuu, without looking up from his book, moved his feet so they were closer to her face. “Stoooooppppp.” She whined. He then poked her nose with his toe. “_Stttoooppppp._” She whined again as she hit his feet. He chuckled before putting his feet back on the floor.

“Morning, sunshine.”

“Nmmmm. What time is it?” She yawned.

“It’s 1:40. You’ve slept through the entire morning.” He said as he put his book down. She opened an eye at him.

“Shouldn’t you be in school?”

“I skipped the last few classes,” He shrugged, “It’s just chemistry and math. It’s not like I’m learning anything new.”

“Won’t they call Byakuya?”

“Please,” Senkuu said as he rolled his eyes, “My father is in Russia. Like he can do anything about me skipping school.” She opened both eyes at him and blinked.

“…You’re not a very good influence.” She said, and he shrugged.

“How’re you feeling?” He asked, trying to sound non cholent.

“…Ok. My back doesn’t hurt too much.”

“That’s good.” Senkuu nodded as he sat up, “If everything works out, you’ll be released today.”

“Oh.” Was all she said, as if she was disappointed. Which didn’t make sense, because she was the one who didn’t want to go to the hospital in the first place. She moved her arms beneath her and used them to prop herself up. “Do you need any help t-,”

“No.” He said, cutting her off, “And even if I did, I wouldn’t ask you to come over. You need to go home and rest. Most of the cuts on your back are shallow, but even still, you need to take it easy.”

“Oh…” She said, looking away.

“Do you want me to call your cousin to come pick you up?”

“No. It’s ok. He’s probably busy with school, so I don’t want to bother him.”

“Alright.” Senkuu looked at his watch. “Well, I don’t have anything urgent to do, so I can make sure you get home safely when they do release you.” A warm smile bloomed onto her face.

“Thank you.” She said softly, and he shrugged.

“Hey, it’s what friends do.” He said as he picked up his book again. She continued to smile as she lowered herself onto the bed again.

“Yeah…friends…”

The next day, Ayuko offered to come over and help Senkuu, but he told her to stay home and rest. Though he was sure she’d feel better in a few days, he still wanted her to focus on her health. Taiju was actually free (for once), so Senkuu spent the afternoon with him. It was fun, and it felt like old times. Senkuu explained what happened with Ayuko, and Taiju stared at him like it was the craziest thing he had ever heard. And then he got mad at Senkuu for not staying overnight at the hospital (as if he should have fought the hospital staff for the right to stay or something).

“But visiting hours were over.” He said.

“But what if she woke up and you weren’t there!”

“So? I wouldn’t be there. She’s not a baby.”

“But it’d be scary to wake up alone at the hospital!”

“Why?” Senkuu asked.

“Because she was hurt! Maybe she did wake up and was really scared, but she didn’t say anything to you.” Taiju said, but Senkuu shrugged it off. He was starting to get tired of everyone thinking Ayuko was a 5-year-old.

He also wanted to ask Taiju what he thought about Senkuu touching Ayuko’s hair for some weird reason, but then he figured he already knew what Taiju’s answer would be (and he did not want to face another round of ‘oh, you must have a crush on her’. He would be happy if he _never_ went through that again). So, he remained quiet. The day after that, he didn’t hear from Ayuko (though, Tatako gave him the dirtiest look of his life, so he figured Ayuko must have informed her about the whole glass explosion incident). Though he did text her to check on her health. It was the following day that he asked for her help again.

Like usual, he went to pick her up from school. And, like usual, she came to the gate to meet him. But she was…quieter than usual. She didn’t look as happy or as enthusiastic. She just looked tired.

“You ok?” He asked as she came up. She gave him a tired smile and shrugged.

“I’m alright.”

“You don’t look alright.” He said bluntly. But she didn’t even react, she just shrugged again. Senkuu put his hands in his pockets. “If you don’t feel well, we can call it off. I get it if you want to go home and rest-,”

“No. No, I’m fine. Let’s just go.” She then began to walk away, which was surprising because normally she followed him. He caught up to her.

“Well, I wanted to work on this virus project I’ve been thinking of. Do you know much about viruses?” He asked, and she shrugged. “Well, the first thing is that not all viruses are bad. Actually, you can infect someone with something good. So, I’ve been thinking…” He paused because she was _so_ quiet and unresponsive that it was jarring. “Hey. Are you seriously ok?” She blinked and looked at him.

“What? Yeah. Sorry.” She said before looking back at the ground. He stared at her as they walked a few more steps.

“…You’re being weird.”

“Sorry.” She mumbled. He frowned.

“Don’t be sorry. I’m just saying, you’re acting weird.”

“…sorry.” She said more quietly. He rolled his eyes and huffed before turning to the right. It took her a second to notice he moved off course before she followed him.

“We’re going to 7/11. You clearly need food in you.” He said as they changed their course. Yet, after buying a couple of onigiri and a few drinks and consuming them, she was still out of it. He tried changing the subject to animals and her volunteer work, but nothing seemed to get her out of her…_mood_. “Are you on your period?”

“No.”

“Are you on some kind of medication?”

“No.”

“…I’m taking you home-,”

“No!” She suddenly said. At least that got her attention. But he shook his head at her.

“You’re clearly still sick. You need to go home and rest.”

“Please, it’s fine. Just forget it-,”

“No. You’re going home. That’s final.” He said as he led the way back to her place. She let out a sad sigh, but eventually followed him. They made their way past the shopping mall and into the nearby park.

Ayuko was incredibly quiet as they walked along. Senkuu looked around at the few people that were around. An older couple on a bench. Two teenagers playing with a frizbee. Some jogger passing them by…

It was fairly quiet. He glanced again at Ayuko, but her eyes were dead set ahead of her. He still didn’t get what was up with her. Was she still in a lot of pain? Maybe she felt nauseous and the food just made it worse.

A playground came up on the left, and surprisingly, Ayuko stopped for a moment. Senkuu stopped also and waited to see what she was doing. After a moment, she walked towards the small playground. He watched in surprise as she walked up to the small ‘tower’ that held a long slide then peeked under it. He was even more surprised when she slipped inside. He walked up and looked inside and there was Ayuko, sitting down on the wood chips.

Odd.

“…What are you doing?” He asked, and she shrugged. He waited a moment before speaking again, “Seriously, what are you doing right now?” But she just shrugged again and pulled her knees up to her chest before laying her head on her knees.

Senkuu looked around the slide and the playground, but there was no one around. Just them. He debated just leaving her there. Maybe she wanted to be alone…? But then again, she probably would have said something. After a moment’s thought, he shrugged to himself and climbed inside the small space. It was cramped, but he managed to shove himself to the opposite end and sit down, mimicking Ayuko’s position. He held his legs and watched her curiously. He blinked. He took in the information around him. He observed.

But she wasn’t giving him much to go on. She didn’t talk, or even look at him. She just sat there. He looked around the cramped space. It was kind of dark inside, and in the far right corner was a spider hanging in its web. He tried to see what kind of spider it was, but it was too small to examine at his distance. 

Time ticked by. After a few minutes, he looked out the small ‘window’ to the outside world. It was becoming darker. Had that much time really passed? A few birds sang to each other as something scurried around outside. And time went on. And it slowly got darker.

“I used to come here a lot. When I was a kid.” Ayuko said, her voice crashing into his thoughts. He looked at her, but she kept her face against her legs and away from him. He waited for her to continue. Was he supposed to say something? “I’d…play here with my mom.” She said quietly. Senkuu blinked.

“Oh.” Was all he said. He didn’t really know what to say to that. She seemed…sad. Or maybe she was just deep in thought. It was hard to read her emotions because she was hiding her face.

“We’d play hide and seek…and I’d always hide here.” She gave a (sad?) chuckle, “And every time, my mom would find me. It was something we did together. We’d play a game, and I’d hide here, and she’d find me.”

Senkuu watched her. She never spoke about her mother. Why was she bringing this up now? With him?

“Oh. That’s…nice.” He said awkwardly. What did this have to do with her back? What did this have to do with anything? Was he supposed to share a story too? But he didn’t remember his mother. “Uh…Byakuya would bring me to the park at night sometimes so we could look at the stars…but, I mean the light pollution was terrible, so it wasn’t like we could see much.” He waited, but she didn’t respond. Maybe he said the wrong thing? He waited for her to respond.

Some more time passed. The light outside faded. And Senkuu watched her. And he wondered if he was supposed to say something again.

“I…” She began, but then she fell quiet again. A minute passed before she tried again, “I used to come here after she left. After school- after teasing you all day- I’d come here and hide.” She sighed, “I just…I guess I thought she’d come find me. So, I kept hiding here. And I’d stay here for hours. I’d stay here until it got dark.” She took a shaky breath and finally looked up at him. And he could tell by the reflection in her eyes that she had tears in them, “But, she never came. No one ever came. No one ever came for me.” She blinked, and the tears rolled down her cheeks.

Senkuu continued to watch as her tears fell. His hands felt…prickly. And his heart stung. He opened his mouth to speak, but he didn’t know what to say.

“I-I finally found her.” Ayuko said, her voice quivering, “I found her yesterday on Facebook, when I was home and resting up my back. It’s been ten years. I haven’t heard or seen her in ten years. And you know what?” She asked. But Senkuu’s mouth was dry.

“What?” He finally asked.

“She’s happy. She has a whole new family.” The tears spilled down her face as she stared at him, the shock evident by her expression, “She has two daughters.” She then looked off, confused and hurt, “And I…I want to know why she loves them, and not me? What did I do wrong? I,” She swallowed a large lump in her throat, “I always wished she took me with her. I wanted her to take me away from dad. But she just left us. She left me to take care of him.” She chuckled in defeat, “I…would hide a secret bag in my room, all packed and ready for when she came back to get me. And…it’s so stupid, because I still have that bag. I still keep it packed, like…I’m always waiting for her…or…someone to come back for me.” She gave a pathetic shrug, “What…did I do wrong?” She then looked up at him, “Why aren’t I good enough? What’s wrong with me?”

“There’s nothing wrong with you.” He found himself saying. It just came out. Like a knee jerk reaction.

“But there is. She left, dad was hardly ever home…aunty and uncle basically asked me to leave the house, and my cousin…” She looked away, “I hardly see him. He’s always busy, and I’m always home alone…” She sniffed, “Just like today. You’re taking me back. And I’ll go home to an empty apartment. And I’ll eat dinner alone, and watch tv alone, and sleep alone…I’m just, I’m so tired of being alone.” She said weakly. “I just…,” She looked up at him again, the defeat evident on her face, “I don’t know why everyone leaves.” She sniffled, “Why does no one want me?”

And he didn’t know what to say. What do you do in this kind of situation? What do you say to that? But his body felt prickly and on edge, so he went with his instincts. His legs pushed him up, and he stepped over to her and shoved himself beside her (and there was hardly any room, but his instincts didn’t seem to care). And then he sat there, squeezed between her and a wall, unsure of how to continue. She looked at him with her big sad eyes and rivers of tears. And…he felt like he was in pain too. It hurt, seeing her like this. He wasn’t a sociopath. He wasn’t completely devoid of emotion. He still _felt_ things, however muted they were. And he still felt _empathy_. And seeing her like this, in so much pain, it hurt him too. But, where did he go from here? This whole time he thought the issue was her physical pain, but it wasn’t. It was emotional. How was he supposed to help someone who felt alone?

_What would Byakuya do?_

When in doubt, it was good to mimic his father. The man had a better handle on these things than he did. So, he gently wrapped his arm around her, and she immediately took to him. She grabbed his shirt, pulled herself to him, and cried. He looked ahead like a deer in headlights as she cried and cried. Was this normal? Was he doing it right? He wrapped his other arm around her, careful not to aggravate her back in anyway. He wasn’t really one for hugs, but this seemed like the right response. And it wasn’t really that bothersome. If anything, it felt kind of…warm. Not _good_, but just…warm. Her cries became deeper as she began to sob, her body shaking with the quick breaths she tried to take. He awkwardly patted her arm. Should he say something? What do you even say to that? What was the right thing to do? What would make her stop crying?

_She says people keep leaving her. So…_

“I…won’t leave.” He said slowly, cautious in case it was the wrong thing. But she continued to cry. “I, uh…I like you. I think you’re useful.” Her body continued to be wracked with sobs. Was that the wrong thing to say? She asked why no one wanted her, but it felt _wrong_ to tell her he _wanted_ her. Even he wasn’t dumb enough to not know the connotations to that word. “Please, don’t cry.” He said awkwardly, but it didn’t work. If anything, her sobs were louder. And his shirt was getting wet. And her cries pierced him to his core. It…hurt hearing her in pain. He looked around. This was like that whole ‘box’ situation. But she never said what to do when someone cried over their box. How did someone else put the box away? Was he _supposed_ to put it away? And how long was he supposed to hold her? Until she let go? Seeing as she was clinging to him like a lifejacket in open water, he felt like that would be a _long_ time from now (and she was kind of ruining his shirt). He looked around, as if the answer were somewhere in the small area.

_Dealing with the glass explosion was way easier than this. At least those were physical problems to solve._

He took calming breaths as her tears continued in rivers, and her sobs became uglier and louder. Wasn’t it supposed to be getting better? Shouldn’t her cries get lighter by now? He had literally no idea what to do. The few times Byakuya comforted him, Senkuu wasn’t a crying mess. He was just kind of bummed out (he never _clung_ to his father). The one time he did remember crying was when his parents died, and Byakuya held him. But that was only for a short time, because Senkuu composed himself and they went home. But this…this was something else _entirely_.

It wasn’t long before her sobs became jittery, and soon it sounded like she was laughing. But he _knew_ she was NOT laughing. Is that what intense crying sounded like? Like laughter? It was kind of terrifying. Who knew such a happy sound could be linked to such a heartbreaking one?

So, he continued to hold her and pat her arm. Well, trying to mimic his father would only get him so far. And he wasn’t one to watch dramatic movies or television, so it wasn’t like he could try to mimic the media.

_Alright, time for a different approach_.

Well, she was in pain. Though it was emotional, he could still work off that. When he was in physical pain, typically the response was people telling him it would be over soon. But that just didn’t feel right in this situation. And when he helped someone in physical pain…well, he also told them to hang on and that help was coming.

_This isn’t working. Try a different example._

Pain…physical pain…

He remembered just a few days ago, in the hospital, he saw a mother with her son. Her son was crying over some sort of leg injury, and his mother was rubbing his back and telling him he was ok. And she just kept doing that over and over again.

So, he mimicked exactly what that woman did. He gently shushed her and stroked her arm.

“It’s ok. Everything’s going to be ok.” He said softly. She shivered, then hiccupped and let out another sob. Well…it was something.

He repeated the process several times. Shush, affirm that things were ok, then wait a moment before doing it again. After three rounds, her cries began to die down. After ten rounds, her crying had become much softer. He continued the process until she stopped making noise entirely, which took approximately thirty two rounds. When she finally stopped crying and shaking, he slowly began to pull away. However, she immediately tightened her hold on his shirt, so he kept his arms around her. Finally, it was quiet. And he held her in the dark, wondering how much longer it would take. But, even though he wanted to get back home so she could rest, he didn’t try to rush her.

They were friends. Friendship did come with baggage and emotional bonding (or, so his father said. He and Taiju didn’t do much ‘emotional’ bonding, but he supposed Taiju and Ayuko were just different).

_But, we can’t stay like this forever. Eventually, she has to let go and go home._

Which seemed to be the problem. She didn’t want to go home alone.

_Well, I can’t go to her house. I have things to do at my place._

She didn’t want to be home alone, but he couldn’t go to her place. Then…what if she came to his place?

_Byakuya said she couldn’t stay overnight._

True, but this was kind of an emergency, right? And when Ayuko was in a bad place before, Byakuya let her stay over.

_But he specifically said she couldn’t stay over anymore._

Yeah, but Byakuya wasn’t home. And what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

Senkuu thought for a few more moments before speaking.

“You don’t have to go home alone today.” He said as he patted her arm, “You can come to my place.” But then she shook her head no. No? “Listen, it’s just for tonight. Until you feel better.” She pulled away slightly and looked at him.

“I…” She hiccuped, “I can’t. B-byakuya-,”

“He doesn’t need to know. Besides, it’s my house while he’s gone. So, I decide who stays.” She blinked at him before sniffing loudly.

“B-but…a-are you su-sure?”

“Yeah, this is the best solution.” She looked at him before resting her head on his shoulder again. He waited a moment. “…You know that means we’ll have to get up-,”

“I just…please. I want to stay like this a little longer.” She said softly.

“I’m going to be honest, Ayuko. My arms are starting to fall asleep.” He said, but she paid him no mind. Instead, she closed her eyes and snuggled up to him (much to his discomfort). He let out an annoyed sigh as he stared straight ahead. He knew this was the right decision. And he knew that, morally, the right thing to do was to keep holding her until she felt better.

But it was weird. And the worst part was, he didn’t _despise it. _Which was a whole new thought he really didn’t want to get into.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are getting intense, and Senkuu is way over his head.
> 
> What did you think? I think these kids have no idea what they're doing, that's what I think.  
Anyway, this is a double update, so I'll see you in the next chapter!


	8. Age 14 (End of June)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey you! This is a double update! If you didn't read the last chapter, then go check it out! And if you read the first lines of this chapter and are like, 'what the heck is going on', then go read the last chapter!
> 
> Also, near the end, Ayuko has a kind of...self realization moment. The song Defying Gravity by Caleb Hyles (a cover of Defying Gravity from Wicked) really inspired the scene. I heard that song and I was like, BAM! That's the direction this girl is going. 
> 
> Phew. Part two of the double update. Here we go.

They had just come back to his place and were taking off their shoes when he brought up a thought.

“Did you know I’m lactose intolerant?” He asked, and Ayuko nodded.

“Yeah.”

“Good.” He said simply as he put on his own slippers. “Because I have an idea.” He flicked on the lights and began to walk inside.

“What kind of idea?” She asked. He turned to her as his grin grew.

“I was thinking of infecting myself with a virus to cure my lactose intolerance.” She blinked at him, but other than that gave him no response. His grin turned into a slight frown. “I thought you’d give me more of a reaction than that.”

“Honestly, at this point, nothing you say really surprises me anymore.” She put on the spare slippers and looked at him with a small smile. “But, isn’t that kind of risky?”

“It’s fine. We can test it on a few mice first.” Senkuu then walked down the hallway. “Follow me.” He said, though he didn’t need to. Of course, she was right behind him. They went to the spare room which held the bulk of his ongoing projects. “I was thinking of using an AAV virus to infect myself.”

“Adeno Associated Virus. That’s the kind that most people have, right? It’s just a virus that sits around but doesn’t hurt us.” He quickly looked at her and grinned, and she grinned in return. “I’ve been reading.”

“Good. Then I don’t need to explain that part.” He went to his desk and lifted up a stack of papers. “I figured the best place to keep the virus is in my intestines, specifically in the brush border.” Ayuko nodded along, which just felt so _right_, “We’re going to be using lac-Z from E.coli instead of the human gene. That way we can test it and see it with blue dye.” He handed her the papers and she quickly flipped through them.

“So, we’re going to break down the DNA using gene therapy.” She looked up at him (with those confident, mature eyes), “First off, we’re going to need a sterile flow hood,” She glanced around, “Which you don’t have.”

“I’m working on it.” He said as he nodded towards the pieces of metal at the far side of the room, “What else do we need?” He asked, hoping to see just how much research she had done. She flipped through his thesis and held a stern expression, clearly concentrating on the question.

“We’ll need…well, first the DNA. Which,” She flipped to the 8th page, “Seems to be in three parts. Then we’ll need cells to cultivate them in- which I guess would be HEK cells because they’re the most commonly used-,”

“I’ll also be using CHO cells as a back up.” He said, and she nodded (her eyes still glued to the paper).

“We’ll need some kind of media to feed the cells and keep them healthy. And it’d probably be good to put some kind of antibiotic in it to make sure nothing else gets in there.”

“That’s right. We’ll also need something to help get the DNA into the cells. Do you know what that is?” She looked up at him.

“It…starts with an L-,”

“Lipofectamine.” He nodded at her, “But good guess.” He looked at the metal parts at the side of the room, “I’ll be putting you in charge of prepping the media while I get everything sterilized and ready.”

“You already have everything?” She asked in surprise. He shook his head.

“No. I have two parts of the DNA, but I’m still waiting for the third part.”

“Plus, you don’t even have a flow hood…” She mumbled. Senkuu crossed his arms.

“Yeah, I know-,”

“I mean, we can’t exactly do gene therapy on your computer desk…”

“Yeah, I _know_.”

“Even if I sanitized the hell out of it, who knows what kind of germs you have on that table.” She placed her cheek in her hand and looked off, as if in thought, “Or what kind of bacteria and germs are in this _room_.”

“_Yes_, Ayuko, I get the _point_.”

“Or what kind of germs you have on _you_-,”

“I get it! I’ll work on the flow hood! You’ve made your point.” He snarked, but she just smiled at him.

“I’m surprised you don’t already have one. Didn’t you create concentrated cat pheromones? Where did you even _do_ that?” She asked, and he closed his eyes and huffed. She waited a moment before grinning ear to ear, “Don’t tell me you did it at your _desk_-,”

“In my defence, I was extremely confident and tweaked out on Red Bull.”

“Yeah, and we know how _that_ experiment went-,” Senkuu opened his eyes.

“You know what? Why don’t _you_ build the flow hood?”

“Maybe I will.” She said as she crossed her arms. Senkuu stared at her before smiling.

“I’d like to see you try-,”

“Then you better get ready to watch me.” She looked over at the metal and tools.

“Everything is there.” Senkuu waved at it.

“Good.”

“Good. I’ll leave it to you then.” He grinned and turned to prep the equipment, “The blueprint is next to the far bookshelf. Try to have it done by the time I finish.” He walked to the other end of the room.

“Try to have it done by the time I finish.” She said in a mocking voice as she searched for the blueprint. And he grinned and shook his head.

Three hours went by. And they went by quickly. Senkuu eventually left for the living room so he could go over his theory one more time in silence. He was rereading the process of creating protein when he heard Ayuko call out for him.

“I’m finished.” He chuckled and immediately got up and walked back to the room. As soon as he walked in, he had to admit he was impressed. There was a basic flow hood, about the height of a table with a work area and glass hood to prevent outside contaminants. He grinned as he walked over.

“Not too bad.” He said as he came up to the object. Ayuko smiled as she crossed her arms.

“It wasn’t too hard. Besides, I like a challenge.”

“I have to say, I’m impress-,” He put his hand on the metal edge and leaned slightly into it, and it moved. He frowned before giving it a light shake. It squeaked back and forth. He then shook it a bit more before looking up at Ayuko (who avoided eye contact). “…I don’t recall asking for a moving table.” He said bluntly.

“…It’s earthquake resistant.”

“Earthquake resistant?” He echoed in amusement. She tapped her arm.

“Sure. It, uh, moves with the floor. Like those buildings downtown.”

“Ooooh.” He said lightly.

Before grabbing the table with both hands and shaking it violently.

“Stop shaking it!” She suddenly yelled as he continued to shake it.

“I admit, it’s holding up pretty well to a 5.5 on the Richter scale! But can it handle a 7?” He asked loudly before shoving it back and forth, a wicked smile on his face.

“Quit it, you lunatic!” She yelled again before the table finally screeched loudly and it’s two back legs gave out, causing it to fall over. Senkuu laughed before shaking his head.

“It was a good attempt, but I’m afraid mother nature won this round.”

“Ok! Ok! So, the table sucks!” She threw up her hands, “I’m a biologist! Not a friggin’ _engineer_.” He laughed again as he looked over at her.

“Ayuko, it’s a _table_.”

“An extremely difficult table. And, by the way, your blueprints are terrible.” He hit his chest in mock surprise.

“My blueprints are a work of _art_.” He gasped, “You could frame them and put them on the _wall_.”

“They’re stupid, and _you’re_ stupid!” She said as she flicked her braid in annoyance. He laughed again and looked down at the table.

“In all seriousness, it was-is a decent flow hood. I’d give it a solid 8/10.”

“Don’t give me pity marks.” She sighed and he chuckled.

“Fine, 6/10.” He said, and she sighed once more. “How about you finish looking over my notes and get familiar with the project? I’ll modify the flow hood, then we can discuss how we’ll do things.”

“Aye aye, captain.” She said sarcastically as she gave him a lazy salute. He gave her a broad smile, which she returned in kind. Then, they both went back to work, only pausing to eat a quick meal.

By the time 11pm rolled around, they decided to finish for the night (they did have school in the morning, after all). Senkuu let her take the bathroom first so she could get ready for bed (he gave her a spare toothbrush and an old t-shirt and pajama pants to sleep in). And soon they said their goodnights and went to their own rooms (Ayuko sleeping in Byakuya’s room). After doing the usual nightly grooming procedure, Senkuu got into his bed and pulled the covers over him. He closed his eyes and went over what they had accomplished that day. But as soon as he went to the beginning of their work, his brain skipped back to the late afternoon when Ayuko had been a sobbing mess. He flinched slightly at the mental image. No. He didn’t need to think about that. Sure, Ayuko was in emotional (and physical) pain, but she was handling it.

…

Right?

…

He frowned to himself. It didn’t look like she was handling it well. But then, when they came back to his place, she seemed totally fine. She was mature and focused and intelligent. There was no sign of the crying girl from before. Maybe they just had to focus on the project. Maybe that would keep her in high spirits.

_But what about tomorrow? Will she come over again? And if she does, will she ask to sleep over again?_

Of course not. This was a one time thing. She knew that.

_Did she?_

Yes. She’s mature. She doesn’t need me there everyday to cry on.

He rolled over and went back to thinking of everything accomplished that day. They got the flow hood up and prepped the media. The cells were in storage and all the other components were set up. All they had to do was wait for the third part of the DNA.

He planned and went over the project in his mind. He checked and double checked every detail. And soon, he slipped into unconsciousness.

At 2:39 am, he woke up. He blinked at he ceiling before realizing he had to go to the bathroom. Weird. Normally he didn’t wake up to go. But then he blinked again and remembered his schedule had been thrown off by Ayuko. With a slight sigh of annoyance, he got up and went to the washroom. Afterwards, he was heading back to bed when he saw a dim light coming from the experimental room. Weird. He didn’t remember leaving the light on.

He opened the door and looked inside, and honestly he shouldn’t have been surprised. There was Ayuko, sleeping on the floor with a small blanket and pillow she stole from Byakya’s room. Senkuu looked at the different books about gene therapy lying around and sighed. They were too alike in many ways- falling asleep while doing research and reviewing a project. He smiled slightly and walked over before kneeling beside her. She slept on her side and didn’t seem in any pain (so her back was feeling better. That was good). He looked at her peaceful face and again wondered how she could change from a weeping child to a mature worker in only a few hours. She didn’t seem sad in her sleep, or angry or…anything. Just restful.

And he wondered how her emotional life effected the other aspects of her life. He wasn’t one to get emotional, so he didn’t understand how it influenced other people. He thought back to their conversation about emotions and life and closets and boxes.

She was sad, so that must be changing her worldview. Is that what Byakuya was talking about? When he said she was emotionally hurt and getting nothing from home? That her worldview was no longer one to turn to family, but instead to turn to others? To him?

His stomach turned as his hand itched and ached to move. And suddenly he realized he wanted to reach out and touch her. Which was extremely rare because he never wanted to touch other people- and it wasn’t a weird touch, or an inappropriate touch. There was nothing…physical about it. He just wanted to feel that she was warm. And…ok.

He remained still for a moment before slowly reaching out and lightly stroking the side of her face with his fingers. She was warm. She was soft and warm and alive. That was…good. He furrowed his brows as he tried to understand the whole situation. How was he supposed to help her? To take care of her? Was he even supposed to take care of her? What did that mean? He helped Taiju- the two would (rarely) talk about the death of their parents. Though it never bothered Senkuu, Taiju was still pretty torn up about the passing of his parents. So, on occasion, they talked about it. And Senkuu tried to help his friend. But this felt…different. It felt…heavier. A lot heavier.

And why did he want to touch her? What was that all about? He only ever heard of people touching each other because they had physical needs- or romantic ones. But what he was doing, it wasn’t romantic. It wasn’t like he wanted to kiss her or something. He just…he just needed to feel her.

He cringed at his own thought process. _Feel _her? What was he, some kind of weirdo? What did that even mean? And earlier, when they were holed up in that dirty little playground hideout together, he didn’t feel awful while holding her. He didn’t like it necessarily, but he didn’t hate it, which was unsettling because he usually _hated_ hugging and holding and things like that. So, what did it mean when you don’t hate something, but you don’t love it either? When you’re kind of…semi neutral? But a bit more…positive? But it wasn’t positive. Or was it? He didn’t know. It was all so confusing and-

Her eyes shot open and immediately connected with his. And the two stared at one another, completely dumb founded, in silence for several long, long seconds.

Senkuu then immediately retracted his hand.

And they continued to stare at one another, confused and yet both knowing exactly what had just happened. And they didn’t break eye contact. And it was like they were speaking to each other without words, but Senkuu couldn’t quite translate what she was saying- but the longer they looked at each other, the closer he got to understanding-

And panic punched him in the gut.

Something was happening. Something strange. Something he was unfamiliar with.

“You shouldn’t be sleeping here.” He blurted, causing her to blink.

“What?”

“You should be sleeping in bed. The floor is bad for your back, and you’re not completely healed yet.”

“Oh…” She said as he quickly got up.

“I’d advise you to go back to bed. That’s my medical opinion.”

“Ok…” She said quietly as his eyes darted around the room.

“Yeah. Anyway. Go to bed.” He then beelined for the door, “Night.”

“Night…” She said as he quickly went to his room, shut his door, and dove under the covers. He pulled the blankets over his head and stared into the darkness, his eyes wide open and his heart racing. And his instincts told him something just happened. Something big just happened, but he didn’t understand because _nothing_ happened. They didn’t say anything. They didn’t do anything. But he knew. He knew something happened. And it was _bad._

And he felt anxious, and kind of excited, but mostly nauseous. So, he tightly shut his eyes, took some calming breaths, and began to name all the elements on the Periodic Table of Elements.

_One, hydrogen…_

The next morning, everything seemed to be normal. The two ate breakfast and went their separate ways to school. Taiju had early morning practice, so Senkuu was on his own walking to school. And the morning went by as it usually did. History class was mediocre, art class was torture and English class was decent enough. By the time lunch rolled around, Senkuu was looking forward to eating and catching up with his friend. Taiju had just sat down beside him and opened his lunch when the classroom door slammed open. Both boys looked to the noise and saw Tatako, rage in her stance and fire in her eyes.

And her eyes were on Senkuu.

“Uh oh.” Taiju said as the girl stormed over.

“Ishigami-,” She snarled.

“Here we go.” Senkuu said with a sigh.

“What the _hell_ are you _playing_ at?” She barked. Senkuu leaned back in his chair and gave her a bored look.

“You and I both know I have no idea what you’re talking about. Just get to the point-,”

“You and Ayuko. What the _heck_ is going on between you two-,”

“Oh my god…” Senkuu groaned as he slapped his hand over his eyes.

“Why, what’s going on between Senkuu and Ayuko?” Taiju asked as he ate some rice.

“What’s going on? I’ll _tell_ you what’s going on. This _clown_-,” Tatako said as she pointed at Senkuu, “Got Ayuko’s back all torn up-,”

“It was an _accident_. And she’s _fine_-,”

“-so she had to go to the hospital!”

“I thought you already knew about that. That’s why you gave me the stink eye a few days ago.” Senkuu said.

“I DID already know about that!” Tatako bit back, “What I’m _pissed off_ about is the fact that you had her _sleep over_ last night!” Taiju immediately looked to Senkuu with large eyes.

“You had a girl sleep over last night?!” He almost yelled, but then Tatako smacked Taiju over the head.

“SHH! Don’t go telling everyone, you idiot!” She hissed angrily. Senkuu crossed his arms and looked at his peer with annoyance.

“So why are you all pissy about it? Who cares if she slept over? Isn’t the issue the fact that I got her in an accident?”

“No!” She said, “The issue is that you had her sleep over at your place. What’s _wrong_ with you! You can’t just have a girl sleep over at your place! Especially if your dad isn’t home!”

“What’s wrong with it? She needed a place to stay, so she stayed at my place-,”

“You are SO INCREDIBLY socially INCOMPETENT that I can hardly STAND to LOOK AT YOU!” Tatako snarled as she picked up a pencil off the desk and hurled it at him. Senkuu shielded himself from the weapon.

“Hey, watch it!” He said.

“You have _no idea_ what you’re doing, do you? And that’s the worst part. You don’t even know what you’re doing. You’re just doing everything _your_ way-,”

“What are you _talking_ about?” He asked in frustration.

“I’m talking about you and my friend! I’m talking about you having her over all the time, and complimenting her, and being so…so friggin _friendly_ to her! I’m talking about you binding her friggin wounds and letting her cry on you and then taking her home like you’re some sort of, friggin, shinning knight or _whatever_.” She pointed her finger at him again, “Because I know that isn’t what your meaning to do! You don’t want to come across as some sort of, stupid, rescuer or hero or whatever, but that’s _exactly _what you’re doing. And it’s WRONG.”

“What the hell am I supposed to do?” He asked angrily, “Just leave her to bleed out on her own? I had to take her to the hospital. And as for her crying, it wasn’t like I could just abandon her in a playground. What was I supposed to do-,”

“Send her to me! That’s what you do!” She snapped, “That’s what I’m for! That’s what her other friends are for!”

“I’m her friend too-,”

“But it’s _different_ with you! She _likes_ you! So if you help her then she’s going to think you like her too-,”

“I like her. Of course I-,”

“Not like that, you idiot!”

“Jeez, what do you want from me, Tatako? Why are you so pissed off-,”

“I want you to send her to me when she’s upset, you understand? Unless you’re willing to become her boyfriend, then by all means go ahead and solve her problems.” Senkuu scrunched up his face at Tatako’s words, “Yeah, that’s what I figured. Then leave the heavy lifting to me and my friends. You stay out of it. Stick to what you know- experiments and projects and whatever.” And then she turned around and stormed out of the room. The two boys watched her go before Taiju turned to Senkuu.

“What was _that_ all about?”

“Honestly? I have no idea.” Senkuu sighed.

That afternoon, Senkuu told Ayuko she could hang out with her other friends since he had personal stuff to work on (he figured that would keep Tatako happy and out of his hair). But, the next day, he needed her help again, so she came over. They worked a bit on developing the virus before going to the living room to do homework. Ayuko had some chemistry homework while he had some questions to answer in art class. And honestly, it was mutually beneficial for them to work on their homework together, since Senkuu knew a lot about chemistry and Ayuko knew a lot about art. They sat on the floor, working on the coffee table as Senkuu stared down at his questions.

He tapped his pencil lightly against the table and sighed. Oh, how he loathed art class. It just wasn’t concrete. In math, there was always a right answer. But in art, there were kind of right answers and some answers better than others…oh but there were definably WRONG answers, that was sure. He glanced up at Ayuko as she wrote out some information.

“How’s the chemistry coming along?” He asked, hoping she’d need some help.

“Focus on your art questions. If I let you help me now, you’ll take over and do my homework for me.”

“Is that such a bad thing?” He asked, and she looked up with a grin.

“No, but I’m sure as heck not doing your art homework for you.”

“Dang it…” He sighed as he looked back at the picture. There was a woman in a traditional kimono holding a fan. And two cranes were flying by her. He looked at the question.

_In the above painting, what do the cranes represent?_

Senkuu looked at the question, then at the cranes, then back at the question again.

…

How the hell was he supposed to know?! They were just a bunch of cranes! They were pretty, and he could appreciate that it was difficult to paint them like that, but they were just a bunch of dumb cranes!

“Ugghhh.” He sighed as he flopped his head onto the paper. “Why does art class have to be mandatory?”

“Because they want you to be cultured.”

“The only culture I need is the bacteria growing in a petri dish in my room.” He rolled his head over to look at her. “Have mercy on me.”

“Fine.” She huffed with a smile as she scooted over beside him. “What’s the question.”

“It’s asking what the cranes represent.” He said as he sat up.

“Well…what do you think they represent?”

“I think they represent a large, fish eating bird.” He said bluntly. She chuckled as she pulled the book closer.

“See the woman? How is she different from the cranes?” She asked, and Senkuu gave her a very unimpressed look.

“Did you seriously just ask me how a human female is different from two male birds?”

“Not physically, you dunce. Metaphorically.” He rose his brow at her, and she sighed. “Try looking at her clothing and the way she’s standing.”

“Ok…”

“Would you say her clothing is flowing, or restrictive?”

“…Its just a kimono-,”

“Work with me here. You’ve seen kimonos before. Are they restrictive? Can women run in them?”

“No, you can’t really run in them.”

“Right. Now, look at the birds. Are they restricted?” She asked. Senkuu looked down at the picture, then up at her.

“…Seriously, I swear I’m trying. But all I see is two birds.” Ayuko closed her eyes and sighed slightly.

“The answer is no. The birds aren’t restricted.” She pulled the book closer and pointed to the cranes, “Birds usually signify freedom. If you see a bird in a cage, it’s trapped, but a flying bird is free. In that sense, we can see that the birds are free, but the woman is restricted. She can’t move, or run, or fly- like the birds. So, she’s trapped.” Senkuu blinked at her.

“So…the birds represent…”

“Freedom. They represent freedom.” He quickly went to make a note, “Or beauty.” Senkuu’s head shot up.

“Well? Which is it?”

“Both are right-,”

“UGH!” He threw his pencil down, “This is why art class is such a joke! There’s no right answer, but there are _wrong _answers! It’s so subjective!”

“Yeah, that’s true.” She said with a grin. He looked back at her.

“So, how did _you_ know all that?” Ayuko chuckled.

“Because I pay attention in art class.”

“Jeez…”

“And I’m just that smart.”

“Yeah,” He breathed as he smiled at her, “You are pretty smart.”

And he expected some sort of joke from her, but instead she just kind of…stared at him. And he stared at her. And they both sort of just…stared at one another. After three seconds his smile began to fade. And after five seconds, something in his gut churned. And the room got very quiet, and kind of dark- but it wasn’t dark? And she just kept staring at him. And

It was happening again. Just like the other night. They were speaking to each other, but he didn’t really know what they were saying. And they didn’t physically say anything, or physically _do_ anything, but something was happening. Some sort of message was being sent between them. But he couldn’t quite translate her message- his brain couldn’t. But instinctually, something deep inside him picked up on it. And his heart suddenly began to beat faster, and his blood got hotter, and his body reacted to this weird signal he couldn’t comprehend-

And then it just, it happened. One minute they’re staring at each other, and the next he couldn’t see her. Because she was so close he couldn’t really see-

And their lips were touching.

And their noses were touching each other’s faces. And it was so weird. It was such a strange feeling. Because no one had ever touched their lips to his. And, though her eyes were closed, his were wide open. And he blinked. 1 second passed while he floated in a state of confusion, his body a little funny and jittery from this weird experience before his brain reconnected and he realized-

Their lips weren’t just touching.

She was kissing him.

That’s what it meant. When people did that. It was a kiss.

He blinked again, and on the second second pulled back. And he blinked at her again. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at him. And they looked at each other again. And they stared at each other again and-

A connected to B, and he suddenly scurried out from the table and stood up. He stared at her with wide eyes before he gently touched his lips. And then he pulled his fingers away to look at them, as if they’d have some kind of…residue or something. And then he rubbed his mouth with the back of his hand.

And he looked at her again. And she looked at him.

And he didn’t know what to do. His body just kind of…acted. And he just kind of, left the room and went to the kitchen. He walked up to the sink, grabbed a glass from the cupboard, then poured himself a glass of water. He began drinking it when he heard footsteps drawing near. And they drew closer, but then they stopped. He stared down at his water. He needed a moment to think- to restart. What she did to him…it was like she unplugged him, and now he had to reboot again.

But the hardest part wasn’t that he was furious, or anxious, or disgusted. Because he wasn’t. And that’s exactly what was _wrong_. He _should_ be angry at her for violating his space. And he should be anxious over what was happening between them. And he should be _disgusted_ because, until then, he had always thought a kiss was gross and unnecessary and _strange_. And that it wasn’t for him. He always thought that if someone kissed him, he’d spit on the floor and wipe his face and rinse his mouth. But he didn’t do any of that. He didn’t _want_ to. But then, he didn’t feel what other people described as a ‘normal’ reaction. He didn’t feel some kind of shock of electricity, or overwhelming bliss, or even comfort or…_want_.

So, he didn’t _hate_ it, but he didn’t exactly _enjoy _it. But- unlike the only other time he had kissed someone (that time at that stupid party when he kissed Miyuki to distract Tatako)- he did feel _something _this time. It was small, and muted, and watered down, but it was _there_.

And that _terrified him._

“Senkuu.” She said, a few meters away. Good. He didn’t want her getting too close. Not right now. Not while he was still trying to figure everything out. He ran his hand through his hair and took a deep breath. “Are you ok?” He paused for a moment before letting out the air.

“No. I’m not ok.” He said to the wall behind the sink. There was an awkward silence, so he took another sip of his water.

“I’m not sorry.” She said quietly.

“You should be.” He said as he looked down at his water, “I’m not a social expert, but even I know you can’t just kiss someone without their permission. It’s rude-,”

“You didn’t seem to mind-,” He suddenly turned to her.

“I _did_ mind.” He said, his voice a little harder. She stood at the kitchen entrance and gave him a funny look, like she was trying to figure him out.

“Then why didn’t you push me away?”

“I pulled away-,”

“That’s not the same as pushing me away. And you didn’t pull away immediately-,”

“You caught me off guard.” He looked down at his water again, “I was confused.” There was another pause before Ayuko spoke again.

“But you didn’t hate it-,”

“That doesn’t mean I _enjoyed_ it.” He snapped.

“Then what _did_ you feel?”

“Nothing.” He said quickly.

“Don’t lie-,”

“It doesn’t matter! What I feel-what I felt is irrelevant.” He held his head. “Just…forget it. We’ll pretend like this never happened-,”

“No.” She said, and he snapped his head back up to look at her.

“No?”

“No.”

“What do you mean _no_?” He gawked at her.

“I’m not pretending that didn’t happen.”

“Why not? It doesn’t matter-,”

“It matters to _me_.” She said as she clenched her fist. He narrowed his eyes before sighing and shaking his head.

“Listen, I don’t want to get into this. If we just forget it, we can go back to studying. And things will be normal between us-,”

“I don’t _want_ things to be normal between us.” She said as she took a defiant step forward. He straightened his back.

“What-,”

“What do you think of me?” She asked as she placed her hand on her chest. “Of- of us?” She said, her confidence faltering. He put his glass on the counter.

“You’re my friend, and my helper. You know that.” He said as he looked off.

“What else?”

“There is no ‘what else’. That’s it.” He said, looking back at her. She took a strong breath.

“…I don’t believe that.”

“What do you mean, ‘I don’t believe that’? I just said it-,”

“What do you really think of me?” She said, her voice slightly louder.

“I think you’re my friend. You’re smart, you’re a good listener, you’re a hard worker, and you’re _my friend_-,”

“There’s more.”

“There isn’t more!” He sighed angrily and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Why does everyone think-,” He sighed again, “You’re my friend. That’s it. There’s nothing more. I know what you’re getting at, but you’re wrong-,”

“You’re wrong!” She said, “If I’m just your friend, then why do you invite me over all the time? Why do you constantly text me and call me and ask for my opinion?”

“That’s what friends do!” He said as he threw open his arms.

“Then why have you let me stay over? Why did you basically take me in-,”

“I couldn’t just let you go home alone!”

“-and help me? You don’t treat other girls this way!”

“Who _cares_ how I treat other girls! What does that have to do with _anything_?!” He said loudly.

“You’ve held me when I’ve cried!” She said, tears prickling her eyes, “And you stayed by my bed when I was hurt!”

“Because friends _do_ that for each other! I don’t know what kind of crappy friends you’ve had in the past, but real friends help each other out. Which is what _I’ve _been-,”

“Then why did you touch my face, and my hair?!” She said, her voice becoming overwhelmed with emotion and her tears spilling down her cheeks. He looked at her, then looked at his own hand as he flexed it.

“That’s…I haven’t bee-,”

“You have!” She accused.

“I don’t know! I just…it just kind of happened-,”

“Then why did it happen _twice_?”

“I didn’t-,”

“I was awake at the hospital! You were touching my hair and thought I was asleep, but I wasn’t!” He stared at her, then looked at the ground. He didn’t know how to respond to that. “And why didn’t you push me away-,”

“I _pulled away_-,”

“That’s not the same!”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” He mocked loudly, looking back at her, “I didn’t realize I had to become _violent_ to tell you I didn’t _consent_ to something!”

“What do you _think_ of me?” She said loudly.

“Nothing!” He retorted.

“Liar!” She took another step forward, but he stood his ground, and his heart pounded in his chest. And on the surface, he felt anger and confusion and frustration, but below it was just…a confusing mixture of colours. Like a tangled knot of wires that couldn’t be undone. And he was trying to figure out which wire was the AUX cord, and which was for the microphone, but they all looked the same and yet were different, and he couldn’t figure out where to plug them in- “Just tell me!”

“I don’t know!” He said as he ran his hands through his hair, “I- I don’t know! And I don’t _care_!” He looked over at her, “Why do you keep _pushing_ me?! What does any of this matter?!”

“I want to know how you feel-,”

“Who _cares_ how I feel! _I_ don’t even know how I feel! And I don’t _care_ how I feel!” He swept his arm out, “Where do you think this is going? That I’m going to confess my feelings for you and be your boyfriend? I don’t _want_ to be your boyfriend! I don’t want to be _anyone’s_ boyfriend!” He touched his face and shook his head, “Ayuko, I told you. I don’t _want_ to date anyone. Dating at this age is _pointless_ and _irrelevant_.” He lowered his hand to look at her again, “I’m not looking for a life partner. I’m not looking for a _wife_. I’m _14_ for god’s sakes. Why would I be interested in that _now_?”

“I’m not saying I want to be your wife-,”

“But you want to be my girlfriend. And what’s the next stage after that?” She looked at him, but refused to answer, “It’s fiancé. And after that is _wife_. I’m _not_ interested in the end result, so _why_ would I even _start_ the process?” He asked, and she looked at him with her tear stained cheeks. She took in a shaky breath.

“You still haven’t t-told me how you f-feel about me.” She hiccupped. He crossed his arms.

“You’re right. I haven’t told you how I _feel_ about you. Because it’s _completely irrelevant_.” He said, a bit more softly. His intention wasn’t to make her cry. He hated seeing her cry. She shook her head at him.

“I t-think it _is_ relevant.” She lightly touched her chest, “How you feel- what your heart says, that’s important-,”

“Ayuko, the heart doesn’t think. It just does whatever it wants.” He said, his voice much gentler than before. “You can’t listen to that kind of reasoning. Because it’s not logical reasoning, it’s purely emotional.” He leaned against the counter and looked at the floor, thinking, “I don’t let my emotions lead me. I don’t go off into emotional daydreams about me and my…relationships with people. I stay in reality.” He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts before he continued, “It’s different for you. I’m…seeing that now.” He looked up at her, “You’ve let your emotions lead you. That’s why you kissed me. If you were thinking logically, you wouldn’t have done that.” Tears streamed down her face, and her fists shook, but she remained silent, “…It’s not all your fault. I should have realized that sooner. I should have…said something to you, to clear things up. People told me to but…I thought you and I were on the same page.” She sniffed loudly and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. So, he moved off the counter, went to the kitchen table, and picked up the tissue box. He walked up to her and offered it to her. “Here.” She looked at it, sniffed loudly, then slowly reached out and took it. He walked back to the counter as she loudly blew her nose and hiccupped again.

And it _hurt_ him to see and hear her like that. It physically _hurt_. And his body tingled with the need to go over and help her. And his tongue prickled with the need to speak consolingly to her, and shush her, and tell her it was going to be ok. But he couldn’t. That…wasn’t his role.

He placed his hands on the kitchen counter and lowered his head. His role in her life. He had been so focused on what _her_ role was, he didn’t stop to think what _his_ was. He didn’t spend any time analyzing the role he was playing, and the role _she wanted_ him to play. He gave a grim smile. Byakuya was right. Everyone was right. But, of course, he hadn’t listened to them.

Ayuko sniffled again, and he shifted his focus.

“You and I…we have different ideas about who we are.” He tapped the counter as he thought out loud, “To me, you’ve been…my assistant. I’ve needed an assistant. But…it’s more than that. Taiju…I haven’t seen much of him. So, I’ve…needed a friend. Someone I could bounce ideas off of,” He smirked, “He’s not much good for his mental ability, but he’s a good sound board.” Then his smile faded, “I’ve…missed that. I’ve missed him. And…having you around has been really..nice. And having someone who _understands_ what I’m _saying_ has been…incredible.” He turned around, “And I appreciate that. But I never thought what kind of messages that might be sending you. And I never thought about what _you’ve_ needed from _me_. What I’ve…been to you.” He pushed his bang away as he thought to her father, and her family, and her cousin, and her mother. He thought of the times she stayed late because she didn’t want to leave, and he thought of all the times she dropped everything to come see him. And there was something else itching at the back of his mind about her. “You’ve needed a friend. But you have friends- so I guess…what you really need is a family. What you want…”

He thought of how mouthy she was when they were younger. And then he thought about how she was seeking attention because she neve got any at home. And he thought of what she looked like as a little girl, going to the playground alone everyday and waiting under the slide for hours. Just waiting for someone to come for her.

And he saw her bag by the door. Always packed and ready to go. Because she was always waiting. And she was always ready…

Of course. It was obvious. He grabbed his hair and sighed. He’d been so focused on the excitement of projects he didn’t stop to see any of the obvious warning signs.

“You’ve always been waiting for someone to get you out of here, right? Out of your home.” He looked up at her, and she wasn’t sniffling and whimpering or wiggling on the spot. She just stood still. Perfectly still. “That’s why you keep that bag by your door. That’s why you stay here as much as you can…and it’s probably why you drop everything to come help me out.” He gave a very small smile, “It’s…you’ve been incredibly helpful. And I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, but…” His smile faded, “I can’t take you away, Ayuko. I can’t just, spirit you away from your family to come stay at my place. Byakuya wouldn’t allow it, but also…I can’t do that. I…I can’t be the one to do that for you.” He softened his expression, “I can’t be the person you want me to be. I can’t play that role.” And her tears still fell, but she didn’t cry out or wail or sob, she just…continued to stand there. Her expression a little sad, but other than that, she wasn’t overly emotional. Which somehow was worse. Somehow, that cut him deeper than her wails and pained laughter. He swallowed, his own throat getting itchy as he tried to push down his instinct to mirror her image, “I’m so sorry.” He practically whispered.

A few more tears ran down her face. She opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it again. She then looked off to the ground. He thought about everything his father said. He should have listened. He should have-,

“I know.” She said suddenly, causing him to break his line of thought, “I’ve…I’ve always known, in a way. I knew you wouldn’t want me. But I just…I thought, maybe I’m wrong. Maybe, this time…” She trailed off as she looked out the far window. There was a pause before she spoke again, “But I’m never wrong.” She said, much more quietly. He leaned against the counter, his hands holding onto the edge behind him.

“I’m…sorry.” He said again. She shook her head.

“It’s fine. Things always end like this.” She said, which felt more like a slap in the face, “I should have realized it sooner.” She walked towards the window and looked outside. Senkuu stayed in his place and watched her as she stood still in thought. And it felt…wrong. “You’re right. I keep letting my emotions lead me…and I keep waiting for someone. But, I need to stop waiting. No one’s going to come.”

And what she was saying made sense. And it should have made him feel better. But he felt…worse. There was something incredibly wrong with the situation. She should be crying more. She should be a sobbing mess, like she always was. But she was calm- even though tears still streamed down her face. It was incredibly jarring. It made him feel…uneasy.

“I guess I should thank you.” She smiled sadly, “You’ve helped me get my feet back on the ground.” She placed her fingertips on the window, “Maybe…I’ve been going about things wrong…maybe…there should be a change…” She trailed off, and it all felt so _wrong_. It was like a wall was coming up between them. It was like she was walking away, even though she was still in front of him. And that warmth she made him feel deep inside, it grew colder. And it _hurt_.

“I…” He furrowed his brows, “Are you ok?”

“Yeah.” She nodded at her reflection, then looked over at him. “Yeah. I’m gonna be ok.” She smiled as another tear fell from her face. “Thanks.”

“Your…welcome.” He said hesitantly. She took a calming breath, wiped her face with her fingers, then walked out the kitchen. He immediately followed her. “Where are you going?”

“Home.” She said simply as she pulled out her shoes and began putting them on. He paused for only a moment.

“I’ll walk you-,”

“No. It’s fine.” She said suddenly. He gave her an odd look.

“It’s late.”

“It’s only 9:00.”

“Still…” He tried to grin, “Byakuya would kill me if he found out I didn’t walk you home.” But her face remained neutral.

“It’s fine.” She said as she stood up. “I’d rather be alone.”

_Something is _seriously_ wrong._

“Are you sure?” It wasn’t like he could forcefully walk her home. Besides, he had to respect her privacy.

“Yeah, I’m sure.” She nodded before opening the door. And then his instincts hit him like a brick to the face. And he immediately clenched his fist to restrain himself from grabbing her hand and pulling her back. No. If she wanted to leave, she had the right to leave. What would he even say? I know I told you I’m not really interested, but I want you to stay anyway?

“You forgot your homework, I’ll get it-,”

“It’s fine.” She took a step through the door and looked back at him. “Thanks. I…appreciate what you’ve done. I…I think I know where to go from here. What I have to do.”

_This isn’t good._

“What’s that?” He asked, because honestly, he was stalling. He didn’t know why, but he had to stall her. He had to keep her here. He had to coax her back inside. But he didn’t know _why_.

But she just smiled at him and walked out the door. He rushed forward, grabbed the doorknob and flew the door open before looking down the open corridor. And there she was, walking away. But it felt so, _so wrong_. Something terrible was happening. His gut was screaming for him to-

“Ayuko!” His body called out. And she paused, but she didn’t look at him. She just waited a moment before continuing towards the stairs.

Follow her!

_Why would I follow her? There’s nothing wrong-_

Something’s wrong!

_What’s wrong? She isn’t even crying. She’s fine. _

It’s not safe!

_She said she was fine!_

LIAR!

_I can’t just follow her! What would I even say! There’s nothing I can do!_

FOLLOW HER

_What would I do?! I can’t drag her back here for no reason! She’s free to do-, _

DANGER!

_I have NO RIGHT to just-,_

PAIN

_What are you even _talking_ about?!_

DEATH

_Death?! What- that doesn’t- she’s-,_

And his entire body tensed as he strangled the doorknob because he was at war with his logic and instincts. His body SCREAMED to run, and his throat BURNED to call out and warn her, but his logic held him back. It restrained his body because it didn’t make SENSE. There was no OBVIOUS danger. She didn’t say a SINGLE thing that would indicate she was in danger.

His left foot slid against the concrete as his body slowly leaned out the door. He gnashed his teeth as he watched her walk down the stairs.

_Close the door._

RUN!

_Close the door._

SHE’S DISSAPEARING!

_Close. The. Door._

GO! RUN! SCREAM!

_CLOSE THE DOOR_.

And with a willpower finetuned since childhood, he slowly pulled himself back into his apartment. And he watched as she walked down and out of sight. And despite the animalistic screams his instincts were letting out in his head, he forced himself inside and closed the door.

His instincts screeched and pounded on his chest. And with a shaky hand, he reached out for the lock. And his instincts wailed and tore at his heart as he grabbed the lock. And it fell to its knees and wailed in defeat as he turned the lock.

And later that night, after waiting hours for her to text him she got home safe- and after sending ten texts with no response, he collapsed onto his bed and stared up at his ceiling. And in horror, he realized.

_I should have run after her._

50 kilometers north east, a bus steadily moved across the countryside. Ayuko sat by the window and watched the world go by in the dark. It was hard to see; the moon was covered by the clouds and there were no stars in the sky. She leaned against the window and took a deep breath. When she left Senkuu’s apartment, she thought for a moment that he’d come after her. But he didn’t- as expected. And when she got home and grabbed her bag, she expected her cousin to suddenly come in and stop her. But he didn’t- as expected. In fact, it was so incredibly easy to just leave that she was amazed she hadn’t done it sooner. All this time, she had waited for someone to take her away from home. To take her somewhere new. But all along, she could have just taken herself. In the end, she didn’t need someone else.

She looked at her faint reflection in the window. No. She was done waiting on other people. She was done giving time and love only to get nothing in return. If no one was going to help her, then she’d help herself. If no one was going to love her, she’d love herself. And if no one was going to save her, then she’d just walk out and save herself. All her life, she thought she needed other people to survive- but she had been wrong. All she needed was herself. The only person she could really rely on was herself.

She took a deep breath and let it out. This was the beginning of a new life. She didn’t have to wait on other people to love her and care for her. She didn’t have to wait by anxiously for someone to tell her she was needed. Now, she could be whoever she wanted to be. And she could take care of herself however she wanted. The small diamonds in her pocket weighed heavily on her mind and heart. Once she sold them, she’d cut all ties. She’d start anew.

She’d be free.

Two days passed without any word from Ayuko. Senkuu had tried texting and calling her but to no avail. He even asked Tatako if Ayuko was alright, but the girl just asked him if something had happened between them (and so Senkuu ended the conversation).

He had only just gotten home from school when there was a knock at the door. Senkuu put his laptop down and walked to the front door and opened it. Standing outside was a tall young man wearing all black and a mean look in his eye.

“Hey.” The man said. Senkuu stared at him.

“…Hey.”

“I’m lookin’ for Ishigami Senkuu.” He said. Senkuu blinked at him.

“You’re looking at him.” The man blinked back.

“…Yur a boy?”

“Last time I checked.” There was a long silence before the man suddenly glared at him.

“Yur a BOY?!”

“Yeah, I’m going to close the door now.” But the man shoved his foot in the door and forced it back open.

“Where’s Ayuko?” He barked. Senkuu narrowed his eyes.

“Who the hell are you-,”

“I’m her cousin, and I’M askin’ the questions here!” The man shoved his way inside (then strangely enough, removed his shoes respectfully) before walking into the apartment.

“She’s not here.” Senkuu said loudly as the man looked around.

“Ayuko!” And then his voice changed to some sweet, gentle call, “Ayuko, Oni-chan is here. It’s time to go home.” He then disappeared down the hall towards the bedrooms.

“I didn’t say you could come in!” Senkuu called out angrily as he followed the man. The fellow quickly went in and out of each room, calling out sweetly to Ayuko before coming back into the hallway. And then his demeanour changed again.

“Where the HELL is my COUSIN?!” He yelled angrily as he stormed up to Senkuu. Senkuu willed himself to stand his ground as he stared the other man in the eyes.

“I don’t know where she is-,”

“Of course you do! She’s been coming to yur place every freakin’ day for the past month! All she does is spend time with you! So, where is she?” He took a step closer, “If you don’t tell me where she is, we’re gonna’ have ourselves a bad time.”

“If you take one more step, I’m calling the cops.”

“Ha. I’d like to see you try. I’ll get you charged with kidnappin’.”

“I’m 14, genius. Do you honestly think I’m capable of kidnapping someone?”

“I don’t know. You’ve got a god damn Megnetron Sputtering machine in yur guest room, so I’d say yur capable of a lot.” Senkuu blinked at him in surprise before narrowing his eyes.

“How did you-,”

“Listen, all I want is my cousin, get it? She hasn’t been home in two days and I’m gettin’ worried sick. So just _tell me_ where she is-,”

“I don’t _know_ where she is. Maybe she went to Tatako’s-,”

“Nah, I checked with her, and Ayuko ain’t there.”

“How do you know she hasn’t come home-,”

“Because she didn’t eat the lunches I made for her!” Ayuko’s cousin crossed his arms, “Every day, she eats the lunches I make her- even if she doesn’t eat ‘em for lunch! So yesterday I got home, and one was there. And then today, I get home from class and another is there! So, she hasn’t been home in two god damn days!”

“Maybe she got sick of them-,”

“No way! I make all her favourites! Fried chicken, curry, those little apple slices that look like bunnies- everythin’! Every mornin’ before class, I get up and make her lunch for school! And even if I won’t be home the next morning, I always make sure to make extra lunches for her. That’s what I DO. And she ALWAYS eats the lunches I make her. Until NOW.” Senkuu narrowed his eyes but remained silent. The guy in front of him really didn’t strike him as the kind of guy to make school lunches like some mom. “You don’t believe me? Fine.” The man then pulled out his phone, pressed a few buttons, then shoved it at Senkuu. Senkuu took the phone and looked at the pictures. Sure enough, there were images of different bento boxes. And what was weird is that they were cute. Like…_really_ cute. Senkuu frowned. “Do you know how long it took me to learn to make those. I had to buy an entire god damn BOOK on making cute bento boxes. But I _did_. And now I’m a friggin _master_ at it.” He suddenly snatched his phone back, “And Ayuko always eats ‘em. But she didn’t eat ‘em yesterday, or today. So, where is she?”

“…I told you. I don’t know.” And finally it started to sink in. Ayuko never went home. Or, she went home but left. She was missing. Senkuu opened his mouth to say something before Ayuko’s cousin swore VERY loudly, and then ran his hand through his hair, his anger quickly melting into worry and panic.

“Damn…I thought for sure she’d be here. But she ain’t here, or at Tatako’s…” He swore again, but much more gently. And he looked genuinely worried. Senkuu furrowed his brows.

“She said you were basically never home.” The man looked back at Senkuu, “Why are you so worried?”

“…What do you mean, ‘why are you so worried’? She’s my cousin. She’s like my little sister. Of course I’m friggin worried.” He said, more annoyed than angry, before looking off, “What if something happened to her? I should’ve called the police yesterday-,”

“She always acted like you didn’t want her home. I think she thought she was annoying, or something.” Ayuko’s cousin looked back at him in anger and confusion.

“Wh-of course I wanted her home! I asked her to move in with me, didn’t I?”

“She said her aunt and uncle kicked her out-,”

“They didn’t-what? No! Ma and Pa love her. I mean…they ain’t be best at parentin’, but that’s why I asked her to come live with me. I figured I’d look after her. Plus, she always missed Tokyo. I figured she’d be happy to move back.”

“But you’re never home-,”

“Of course I’m not home! I have projects all the friggin time!” He snapped. Senkuu waited a moment before speaking again.

“It really bothered her that you were never home.” The man’s face fell, and his body slumped slightly. “She said she was really lonely.”

“…She never said anythin’. She said she didn’t mind me bein’ away and workin’ on projects…” He looked off again and let out a worried breath, “She should have talked to me about it…” He brought his thumb to his lips and chewed on his thumb nail before standing tall and putting his hand back at his side. “Well, I gotta’ find her. No use stayin’ around here gabbin’ with you.” He walked back to the front entrance and began putting on his shoes. “If she’s got her phone with her, I can find her with it’s GPS.” He started talking to himself, “Li knows how to get into someone’s phone. I bet he’d be able to find her.” Senkuu watched the man curiously. In all honesty, he always thought Ayuko’s cousin was like her father (since that was the impression Ayuko gave him). But he seemed genuinely worried- and genuinely surprised that she was so lonely. Senkuu crossed his arms and tapped his arm before speaking.

“I can do that.”

“Huh?” The man said as he looked over his shoulder.

“It’s not a bad idea. I should have thought of it sooner.” Senkuu tapped his arm again, “If I can get her to download a virus, I’d be able to get into her phone and use it’s GPS to find her location.” He uncrossed his arms, “I’m not a genius at programming, but I know how to make a basic virus like that.” Ayuko’s cousin paused and stared at him for a long moment before throwing out his arm.

“Then what are you waitin’ for?! Get on it!”

“You literally _just_ told me the idea-,”

“Got git yur punk ass on the computer already!” He waved angrily as he (once again) took off his shoes. Senkuu rolled his eyes before going to get his laptop.

“Also, you don’t need to stay. I can do this on my own-,”

“Like HELL I’m leavin’! I ain’t trustin’ you to find my cousin! For all I know, you’ll go off and run away with her or somethin’!” He called out angrily as Senkuu went into his room to get his computer. He sighed in annoyance.

“_Why_ would I run away with your _cousin_ exactly?” He called back as he picked up his computer and walked back to the living room.

“’Cuz you two are obviously datin’-,”

“Oh my GOD!” Senkuu yelled as he stormed back to the living room, “I am NOT DATING Ayuko! Why does EVERYONE say that?!” He snapped, flopping down on he couch and turning on his computer. Ayuko’s cousin narrowed his eyes at him as he walked over to stand behind the couch.

“Then what do you call it?”

“Friends! I call it being friends.” Senkuu sighed, at this point he was just…tired. The other man leaned on the back of the couch.

“Don’t screw with me, kid. I know what happens between a girl and boy when ain’t no one around, and it isn’t anythin’ like bein’ friends.” Senkuu looked behind him and glared.

“For your information, I’m not sexually attracted to your cousin. Or any woman. Or man. Or individual. Or anything.” He looked back at his laptop as it booted up.

“…You sure about that?”

“Yes.”

“…What, she ain’t good enough for you or somethin’?”

“I’m _not_ having this conversation with you.” He snapped before getting to work. Ayuko’s cousin watched him for a few minutes before walking around the couch and sitting beside him (but with a respectful distance). With how annoying the other man was, it was surprising that he just let Senkuu work. He didn’t bother him about more details on Ayuko, and he didn’t go around exploring the house or touching anything. He just stayed quiet and looked at his phone.

Some more time passed. After about half an hour, Ayuko’s cousin spoke up.

“Mind if I read a magazine?” He asked as he pointed to the coffee table.

“Knock yourself out.” Senkuu muttered as he focused on his work. Though, he didn’t fail to see the other man pick up a magazine about new scientific discoveries. Senkuu got back to work, but after a few minutes his curiosity got to him. “You like science?”

“Yeah, sure. It’s what I’m majoring in.” He said, and Senkuu glanced over at him.

“In what?”

“Mechanical engineering.”

“Really?” He asked in mild surprise. The man looked over at him.

“Yeah.”

“Huh.” There was another minute of silence before the other man spoke.

“I’m Sato Daisuke, by the way.” He said. Senkuu grinned to himself.

“It’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too.”

It didn’t take much longer for Senkuu to finish up the virus. Next, all he had to do was get Ayuko to download it, which, as it turns out, wasn’t too hard. He simply sent an email saying he was from the zoo she volunteered for and he needed her to read a document about a new discovery on Komodo dragons. And, sure enough, in a few minutes he was notified that she downloaded the virus. He opened up the program and stared in surprise at the computer.

“Huh.”

“What, did you find her?” Sato asked as he looked up from the magazine.

“Yeah.”

“Well, where is she?” He asked as he scurried over to look at the screen.

“It says she’s in Oga, Akita-,”

“What the hell is she doing all the way up there?!”

“I don’t know.” Senkuu zoomed in on the particular location and, honestly, wasn’t surprised. “She’s at a vets office.” Sato facepalmed.

“Of course, she’s at a friggin vets office-,”

“Well, I’m pretty sure we can rule out kidnapping, so that’s good.” Senkuu took a screen shot and sent it to his phone while Sato got up.

“Alright, come on. We gotta go get her.” Sato said, and Senkuu looked up at him.

“We?”

“Of course WE! What, you weren’t going to come?!”

“I mean, yeah, but-,”

“Then get the hell up, kiddo! It’s time to get movin’!” Sato then went to put on his shoes. Senkuu sighed and got up as well, putting his laptop on the nearby coffee table. On one hand, he was slightly conflicted. From this new information, it seemed that Ayuko ran away. So…she probably didn’t want to be found. Did he really have the right to go get her and drag her home?

But his logical mind told him he had to. She wasn’t old enough to get a real job, and she _had_ to finish high school at the very least. Not to mention she was extremely vulnerable right now. Who knew what kind of person would take advantage of her? And where was she even living? Or getting food?

No. He had to go get her. Of course he had to get her. It was the most logical thing to do.

Though…he still didn’t feel entirely good about it.

It was weird enough heading to the train station with Ayuko’s cousin, but then it got worse. It got _so much worse_. Because who else would come wandering through the crowd while he was buying his ticket than the major thorn in his side herself.

Tatako Rei.

“Son of a-,”

“Hey, Ishigami. What are you doing here?” She asked as she chewed on some candy. All she had to do was look over at Sato for her expression to change. “Where’s Ayuko?”

“For the love of…” He muttered under his breath as Sato spoke over him.

“We found her in Akita. We’re going to get her now.”

“She’s in AKITA?! Why is she there?!”

“We don’t know, that’s why we’re going to get her. There’s nothing to worry about, so you can go now.” Senkuu said as he waved her off. But it obviously didn’t work.

“No way! If you’re getting her, I’m coming too!”

“What-,” Sato began, but Senkuu cut him off.

“No. Tatako, no. This isn’t some wacky adventure you can just invite yourself on. This is serious-,” She came directly up to him (and didn’t stop until she was extremely close to him- which was _extremely _uncomfortable) and stared him dead in the eye.

“Look me in the eye and tell me you want to fight me on this.” And he did stare her dead in the eye, so she moved even closer until their noses were almost touching. And he didn’t want to back down but DAMN IT if she didn’t know how to FREAK HIM OUT-,

And then she touched the tip of her nose to his.

And Senkuu flailed away from her and brought his arms close to his chest in some kind of instinctive power move.

“GUH- FINE! You can come!” He stood tall and pointed at her, “But you have to buy your own food and ticket!”

“Fine by me.” She shrugged, and Senkuu glared at her before going back to the machine and purchasing his ticket (all the while with Sato snickering in the background).

They got on the first train they could and sat together (Senkuu and Tatako sitting beside each other with Sato sitting across from Senkuu). Senkuu figured it would be a miserable 3 and a half hours, but it actually wasn’t too bad. At first, it was pretty rough, with Tatako lecturing him on driving Ayuko away (which he already felt kind of guilty about), but then she turned to lecturing Sato about never being home, so that was kind of fun. Senkuu tried to mostly ignore her after that, but then she started talking about math, and he couldn’t help but join in her conversation. Then Sato joined in as well, and soon the three of them were discussing math and physics. It was actually kind of nice, and eventually the time passed with ease.

When they finally arrived in Oga, they took a taxi to the vet clinic. Thankfully, they went quickly (since it would no doubt be closing soon). They finally arrived and walked in. They had planned for Sato to ask for Ayuko and explain he was her cousin. Then, while he kept the front desk distracted, Senkuu and Tatako would walk into the office to find Ayuko.

Sato walked up to the receptionist and nodded to her.

“Hello and welcome.” The woman said.

“Hello. I was wonderin’ if you could help me.”

“Sure.” The woman smiled.

“I’m lookin’ for my younger cousin. Her name is Fukinawa Ayuko. She’s got long hair that’s usually in a braid, and she stands about this tall. Have you seen her?” The woman’s smile immediately fell as she glanced around.

“Um. No, I’m sorry. I haven’t met anyone with that name.”

“Are you sure? I have a picture of her-,”

“Sir, I assure you, I don’t know anyone like that. We don’t have any children here.” She said, and Senkuu and Tatako immediately looked at one another. They nodded, then slowly moved to the door that separated the waiting room from the rest of the clinic. Senkuu was almost close enough to open it when it suddenly opened on its own.

And out popped Ayuko.

“We have a-,” She stared directly at Senkuu and Tatako before letting out a sigh. “Oh…it’s you guys-,”

“Ayuk-,”

“KO-CHAN!” Sato yelled as he rushed over and yanked Ayuko out from behind the door. He then pulled her into a large hug (which she seemed to be put off by).

“…Hi Daisuke-,”

“GIRL! You had me worried SICK-,”

“Daisuke, you’re crushing me.” She said lamely as he lifted her up.

“I knew somethin’ was wrong, but I didn’t know where you were! So, I had to go find that Ishigami chick-,”

“Daisuke, put me down.”

“-who turned out to be a dude!” And then his joy turned to muted anger, “And why didn’t you tell me you were sleepin’ at some punk’s place?! What if he-,”

“DAISUKE!” She snapped. The man stopped talking as she squirmed in his arms, “Put me _down!_”

“Oh. Sorry.” He mumbled as he put her down. She stepped away from him and tried to unwrinkle her clothes.

“Jeez…” She said before Tatako stepped up to her.

“Ayuko…” The two girls looked at each other.

“Hey, Rei.” Ayuko said quietly. Tatako put her hands on the other girl’s shoulders.

Before shaking her viciously.

“What the HELL GIRL?!” Tatako yelled as she shook her, “You had us all WORRIED SICK! Especially ME!”

“Whow! Tatako!” Senkuu said as he tried to stop her, but she just gave him a death glare before looking back at Ayuko (though, she did stop shaking her).

“I get why you didn’t want to tell THESE two idiots where you were, but why didn’t you TELL me you were running away!” Ayuko took a step back and rubbed her arm awkwardly.

“If I told you, you’d tell Senkuu or someone. I didn’t want anyone to know where I was. That’s why-,”

“But I’m your _friend_!” Tatako said, and Ayuko looked away awkwardly.

“I…I know-,”

“No! You clearly don’t!” Tatako bit, “I’m your _friend¸ _Ayuko! I _care_ about you! Why wouldn’t you tell me where you were going?!” She angrily pointed towards the others, “I know these _morons_ have completely _failed_ you, but I haven’t! I have _been _there for you! All of us have! Miyuki, Yui, Hina- all of us!” She took a deep breath, “How many times have we told you to come to us when something’s wrong? How many times have we offered to help you out? But you just keep shoving us off!” Her voice cracked slightly, “I have _been_ there for you! I’ve _always_ been there for you! Even when we were little and went to separate schools! Even when you went to that stupid haunted house with Ishigami! Me and the girls were there crying our eyes out because we thought you were going to die or something!” Tatako took a step towards her friend, “There _are_ people who care about you! _I _care about you! I _love _you! I’ve _always_ loved you because you’re my _friend_.” She took a shaky breath in as she lightly shoved Ayuko, “And then you went and ran away! Like we don’t matter!” She sniffed as her voice cracked, “I thought you loved us too!”

“I do love you!” Ayuko said as tears pricked her eyes.

“Then why’d you run away and leave us!” Tatako said as she lightly shoved her friend again.

“B-because no one wanted me-,”

“I want you, you idiot.” And then she grabbed her friend and pulled her into a fierce hug. “Of course I want you! You’re one of my c-closest friends.” The two then hiccupped and cried as they held one another.

And Senkuu looked over at Sato, as if he would have some sort of idea as to what just happened. But Sato just shrugged (and meanwhile the secretary in the back was wiping her eyes).

“I-I’m sorry, Rei…” Ayuko sniffed as she held her friend.

“It’s ok.” Tatako hiccupped, “And they care about you too, you know. Your cousin c-came to my place and w-was freaking out because he w-was so worried. And Senkuu cares about you in his own weird, sociopathic way.” And Ayuko nodded, and Senkuu didn’t bother to speak up. They hugged for a minute longer before letting go and wiping their eyes.

“H…How did you find me?”

“Pfft. I don’t freakin’ know. I just ran into Ishigami at the train station.” Tatako said as she dried her eyes, “I thought you were just giving me and the girls the cold shoulder until he said you ran away.”

“Oh…sorry.”

“It’s fine.”

“I infected your phone with a virus.” Senkuu spoke up as he put his hands in his pockets. “It was your cousin’s idea.” Ayuko looked over at her cousin, who waited for some kind of signal that it was ok to approach her. When she nodded to him, he came up to her again.

“Ko-chan, I’m sorry about everythin’. Why didn’t you tell me you were so unhappy?” He asked, and she gave a sad shrug.

“I guess…I didn’t think you’d care.”

“Of course I’d care.”

“But,” She looked up at him with sad eyes, “You told me you wanted me to move in with you so I could help you clean the place-,”

“That was a joke! I was jokin’!” He put his hand on her shoulder, “Jeez, sunshine. You know I care about you.” But she just continued to look at him with her sad eyes, “…Or, I thought you knew.” He sighed, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry about everythin’.” He then opened his arms slightly, and after a moment, she leaned into him and he wrapped his arms around her. “I’m sorry for everythin’, Ko-chan. I’m sorry about yur dad, and I’m sorry ma and pa didn’t take care of you the way they should have.” She sniffled again as he gently rubbed her back, “And I’m sorry I haven’t been home so much. I shouldn’t known you hated bein’ home alone. But please, please just tell me next time. I ain’t used to takin’ care of someone. And you know I can be pretty dumb, so sometimes you just gotta hit me over the head with what you need.” She gave a small chuckle and he smiled, “There you go. That’s better.”

“What are you doing here, anyway?” Tatako asked as she looked around.

“I came here yesterday looking for volunteer work.” Ayuko said as she looked over at Tatako, “The head vet said they could use some extra hands.”

“Fukinawa-chan told us about her situation.” The secretary said as the others looked at her, “Satoshi-san- the owner- told us to let her work here in exchange for food and shelter until she got things figured out.” The woman fiddled with her fingers, “We also weren’t supposed to tell anyone she was here, in case her father came looking for her.”

“Yeah…I get that.” Sato said as he leaned his head down to rest atop of Ayuko’s head.

“Thank you for taking care of her.” Tatako said, and the secretary nodded to her. They were all silent for a moment before Sato spoke again.

“How’s ‘bout we head home. It’s gettin’ late, and it’s a long train ride back to Tokyo.” He gave Ayuko a light peck on the head, “You and I can talk about where to go from here. I’ll change up my schedule so I can be home more, and maybe we can figure some things out together, huh?” He asked, and Ayuko shyly nodded into his chest. “Atta girl…” They waited another moment before he pulled away. She smiled gently at him, and he smiled in return. “That’s what I like to see.” He looked at the others, “Alright, kiddos. Time to head back. I can’t babysit yah all night, you know.” He grinned before patting Ayuko on the back. She then let out a loud yelp, which caused everyone to jump.

_Uh-oh._

“Whow! Sorry, sunshine! You alright?”

“Yeah, sorry.” Ayuko said as she flinched, “My back still hurts.”

“Why does yur back hurt?”

And in that moment Senkuu looked at Tatako, who gave him an evil grin. And he lightly shook his head to say, ‘please, for all that is good, don’t bring it up’. But Tatako’s expression said, ‘oh, I’m bringing it up.’ And Senkuu’s expression said, ‘Tatako, I swear to god if you do-,’ but she just grinned, ‘It’s payback, Ishigami’. And then Senkuu sneered at her and mouthed, ‘you evil wi-,’

“Ayuko was at Ishigami’s and a jar exploded and cut up Ayuko’s back.” Tatako said loudly and _very_ clearly. Sato looked at Tatako with large, surprised eyes.

“Ok, in my defence-,” Senkuu began before he was cut off.

“And then he took off her shirt without permission.” Sato immediately gave Senkuu the death glare.

“You wot mate?” He asked quietly. And Senkuu just stared at him completely unamused because honestly, he was tired and hungry and sick of all the drama.

“Ok, listen, first of all, she needed medical attention. Second of all-,” And then Sato charged at him.

And all in all, the evening ended well. Ayuko had worked things out with her cousin, Tatako was no longer aiming to kill Senkuu, and Senkuu got away with his life. But he really could have done without the extreme headlock Sato put him in, or the stupid wrestling moves that proceeded after that.

And he especially could have done without Sato getting a hold of Byakuya and telling him everything that happened just so Byakuya could call Senkuu at some ungodly hour to lecture him until morning.

But, all that aside, it was fine.

Everything was fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DANG! That was LONG!  
What did you think? I wanted Senkuu's feelings for Ayuko at the end to remain kind of...up in the air, because even to him it's still confusing and weird. I wanted him to come across as Ace, but on the spectrum. By that, I mean that, he isn't physically attracted to Ayuko, but there is still this kind of...comfort from brief physical contact. I've been reading about Asexuality, and one website was saying that there are lots of shades of Asexuality. For example, some people don't like any form of physical contact what so ever. Others, however, aren't physically attracted to people, but enjoy simple contact such as holding hands or hugging because it shows a kind of bond between two people. And others don't need physical contact, but they aren't opposed to it (and thus, if their partner needs physical contact, they don't mind giving it).  
So, Senkuu is Ace, but he's on the spectrum of it. And he's still young and new to relationships, so he still doesn't know where he stands on the spectrum. 
> 
> As for him and a future relationship, that's also up in the air. He doesn't need one, but will he ever have one? Who knows. That's open to interpretation.
> 
> I hope the characters weren't too OOC. I know it might have seemed weird for Senkuu not to immediately shove Ayuko away, but I kind of felt he might just be so shocked by the whole thing he'd just...sit there for a second. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Let me know what you think! Or what your thoughts are on Canon Senkuu. I always love discussing the fandom :) Have a good day guys!


	9. Age 14 (July)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey kids! Niki here! Sorry for the late update. I didn’t really know how I wanted to end this story, so I kind of wrote a couple of different things. Anyway, this suddenly came out of NOWHERE today, so I decided to edit it and post it (this literally took all day- which is fine because we’re all in self isolation, so it’s not like I’m doing anything anyway). This WAS going to be the last chapter, but this just didn’t fit what I had planned for the very end, so I decided to make this the second last (sorry, I know you all thought it would finally end here). But I’ve written most of the last chapter too, so that should be posted later in the week.  
Anyway, this chapter deals with some advice I was given over the years. And man, poor Senkuu. People just can’t get enough of that ‘I love Senkuu’ juice (they really need to stop selling that at 7/11).  
Welp, here’s the update! More notes at the bottom!

It was two weeks after the whole ‘Ayuko running away’ incident, and summer vacation had begun. Senkuu was staring angrily down at his phone when his laptop began to chime. He quickly opened it and accepted the video call from his father.

“Hey.” He said as he looked down at his phone again.

“Hey, Senkuu. How’s it goin?” Byakuya asked as he got comfortable in his chair. Senkuu shrugged slightly as he continued to look down at his phone. “How’s your vacation so far?”

“Fine.”

“Good…good.” Byakuya nodded, and then it was quiet. “You gonna sit down? Or…are you just going to stand there looking at your phone?” Senkuu put his free hand on his hip and looked at his father.

“I feel like standing.”

“Ok.” There was another silence as they stared at one another. Senkuu waited a beat before looking at his phone again. “You waiting for a phone call?”

“Ayuko hasn’t texted me back-,”

“I told you to give her space-,”

“I AM giving her space. I haven’t contacted her in three days. That’s plenty of space, seeing as we used to text everyday.” Senkuu furrowed his brows. “We were right in the middle of a project- a project she seemed genuinely interested in.” He looked off to the side. “I just don’t get her.”

“Senkuu, she’s going to need more space. Like…a _lot_ of space.” Byakuya sighed.

“But I _am_ giving her space…” Senkuu muttered.

“…She might not even want to be friends-,”

“But she said we could still be friends.” He said pointedly, “She even said she’d still help me out with experiments. Yet, when I call on her for help, she says she’s busy or just- doesn’t even text back!” He huffed in anger, “I don’t _understand_ her. Why can’t she just be straight forward about things?”

“Son,” Byakuya sighed again, “She needs time to figure out what kind of relationship she wants with you- and you texting her is probably confusing her even more-,”

“I think I made myself _perfectly clear_ on where our relationship stands.” Senkuu snapped, “So there shouldn’t _be_ any confusion!”

“I know you’re hurt-,”

“I’m not _hurt_-,” Senkuu recoiled.

“Yeah, you are, because she was becoming a good friend and now all of a sudden she doesn’t want to spend time with you.” His father said, “But she’s hurt too, and she has every right to want space to figure out if she even _wants_ to be your friend anymore.”

“But I don’t _get it_,” Senkuu sighed in frustration as he plopped down in his desk chair, “I had this issue with Miyuki, but after we got out of the hospital, things were fine. We played online games together- we _still_ play online games together. So, what’s the difference? Why does Ayuko have an issue with me?” He sighed again, “I didn’t think I was that mean in my rejection.”

“Senkuu, you could have given the nicest rejection possible, but the outcome is still the same. You rejected her. Now she doesn’t know what she wants-,”

“But I know what _I_ want-,”

“And clearly it’s not the same as what _she_ wants. So, you two are just going to have to find some common ground.” There was a long silence after Byakuya spoke. Eventually, Senkuu put his phone on the table.

“This is stupid.” Senkuu said, becoming more tired, “And needlessly complicated. Why can’t it just be logical and straightforward?” He looked up again at the ceiling, “I just don’t understand.” His father gave a soft sigh on the other end.

“Sorry, kiddo. But that’s life.”

“Yeah. I guess.” There was a long pause before Senkuu looked back at his father. “Anyway, how’s training going?” His father lit up, and soon they fell into familiar conversation.

So, Senkuu reluctantly accepted the fact that Ayuko was now back in a ‘somewhat friend’ category. She didn’t come over, and the two hardly spoke to one another. Which was _incredibly_ bothersome (not to mention he had gotten used to her coming over and taking care of the mice, so now he had extra chores).

And Taiju was busy with his baseball tournament, so it wasn’t like they could hang out a lot. So, Senkuu did what he had to do. He shrugged it off and moved on. He researched and experimented on his own. He took his own notes and wrote out reports. If Ayuko wanted to linger on a problem that was in the past, that was her problem. He had better things to do than try to understand the inner workings of a teenage girl.

And it wasn’t like they were the only two people he knew. Three days into summer break, and he got a text message from Tatako that consisted of the meme of three girls in a car with the caption, ‘get in loser, we’re going shopping’. Senkuu snorted as he texted his reply.

_10:34 am_

_You must be truly desperate to come to me for help._

A moment later, his phone buzzed.

_10:35 am_

_Listen, I get you’re probably busy building a robot friend- since that’s the only thing that can really tolerate your sad existence- but Miyuki wants to go to Akihabara to check out some games, and I don’t care about those kinds of things. But, because I’m an amazing friend I agreed to go._

_10:36 am_

_So…why should I go?_

_10:36 am_

_Because you like video games, and I need to distract her with someone who understands that stuff. You in or not?_

Senkuu glanced over at his latest project- making his own hydroglycerin. Dangerous, yes, but exhilarating? 1 billion percent.

But, it wouldn’t hurt to take a short break. He shrugged to himself, then texted her back.

_10:38 am_

_Sure. Just tell me when and where._

They met outside the subway station and took a train down to the Akihabara district. Tatako talked about her upcoming trip to America, and Senkuu talked about how his dad was doing in astronaut training. And Miyuki was her usual quiet self, only really speaking when necessary. Senkuu, for only a moment, found it odd that Tatako didn’t take the opportunity to harp on him or lecture him about Ayuko. But she either didn’t know about it or didn’t care, so he didn’t bother to say anything (why would he? There was nothing _to_ say).

They spent some time walking around the district. Miyuki was able to buy the new Animal Crossing game, and she and Senkuu talked about the latest developments for an upcoming survival game. They also went to MelonBooks to pick up some manga for Tatako before picking up some drinks from a vending machine.

By mid day, the sun was blazing, and the temperature was rising. Senkuu grabbed the front of his T-shirt and pulled at it a few times, trying to get some air flow. They had stopped and were hanging out by the vending machine to sip their drinks and attempt to cool off.

“You know, a café would be a lot cooler than the shade. Not to mention the drinks would be better.” Senkuu sighed.

“Sure, smart guy,” Tatako huffed,” But when I _did_ mention a café an hour ago, you got your panties in a bunch over how _expensive_ it would be-,”

“That’s because you wanted to go to one of the most expensive cafés in the district-,”

“You’re just being cheap.” She said as she took a sip of her iced tea, “So, here we are. Doing things the _cheap_ way, because you’re so _cheap_.” Senkuu looked at Miyuki (who stood on the other side of him).

“Is she always like this? Or is it only when I’m around.”

“Only when you’re around…” Miyuki mumbled into her drink. Senkuu rolled his eyes.

“Then it appears I bring out the worse in you.” He sighed.

“Ishigami, I’m only like this because someone needs to remind you that you are, in fact, _not_ God’s gift to man, despite what the _rest of humanity_ seems to think.”

“I know _plenty_ of people who don’t like me.” Senkuu said as he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

“Yeah, they don’t like you, but they still think you’re the genius of our generation-,”

“What about that girl from art class? She’s always glaring at me-,”

“What, Asuka? She’s _crazy_ about you.” Tatako said as she rolled her eyes dramatically. Senkuu frowned.

“No, she isn’t.”

“Yes, she is.” Miyuki mumbled softly.

“No, she _isn’t._” Senkuu stressed as a figure stopped in front of them.

“Hey.” They all looked to the familiar face of their classmate, Taka, who merely adjusted his sunglasses before moving to the vending machine and getting a drink. They all watched him for a moment before continuing.

“Listen, that girl hates me. I’ve never spoken to her, but even _I _understand her hostile body language-,”

“You idiot. She’s like that with everyone. But when you’re not in the room she won’t shut up about you-,”

“You’re making this up.” Senkuu said in mild frustration.

“Taka, is Asuka crazy about Ishigami, or what?” Tatako asked as the boy grabbed his drink from the vending machine, came back to stand in front of them, popped it open, and took a long, long sip.

“…She’s obsessed.”

“_See?!_” Tatako said dramatically as Senku glared at her.

“Just because- listen, that doesn’t mean- you’re making it sound like _everyone_ is…_fond_ of me, and that thought is _extremely _unsettling.”

“Not _everyone _is fond of you-,” Tatako began, but Taka cut her off.

“An alarming number of the student body has a thing for you.” Senkuu physically cringed.

“Ugh, don’t even _say _that.” He said before taking a sip of his drink. Taka continued.

“Tatako even tried to make a ‘screw Ishigami’ club as a joke, but too many people wanted to join due to a misunderstanding.” Senkuu immediately choked on his drink and spat it out onto the pavement (and, unfortunately, onto Taka’s shoes). He then coughed and sputtered as Tatako laughed hysterically at the ordeal. Taka grinned (seeming to not care about his own shoes) and Miyuki giggled and of course none of them tried to help him. They merely revelled in his misery. Eventually, Taka moved to stand beside him and slap him (rather harshly) on the back. It didn’t help at all, but it was the thought that counted. Finally, Senkuu caught his breath.

“That was a joke, by the way.” Taka said as Tatako wiped the tears from her eyes, still breaking into giggles and snorts. Senkuu glared daggers at her.

“That wasn’t-,” His body shook as Taka slapped him on the back again, “-very funny. I don’t appreciate-,” Taka slapped him again, “-the implication that people want to-,” He was slapped again, “-engage in inappropriate-,” Taka hit him again, and Senkuu suddenly turned on him, “I’m fine now! You can stop hitting me!”

“Honestly, I’m just looking for reasons to touch you.” The two boys stared at each other before Senkuu shoved Taka into Tatako. His peers broke out into another peel of laughter while Senkuu looked at the sky and wondered what he did to deserve this wretched moment. Their laughter died down and Taka threw his arm around Senkuu’s shoulder, “Come on. Let’s get out of this heat. I know an ice cream shop nearby.”

“Taka, if you don’t get the _hell _off me, you’re going to find something other than cream and sugar in your dessert,” Senkuu snarled at him, “And it rhymes with ‘fy-droglycerin’.” Taka immediately retracted his arm and held his hands defensively in the air.

“Ok, ok. I get it.” He chuckled as he moved away. Senkuu huffed before moving off the wall and glancing at the others. Tatako grinned and Miyuki shrugged, and so the four set off to get some cold, sugary treats. Soon, they were sitting in a restaurant and enjoying the free air conditioning. And the cold desserts did help to cool off Senkuu’s temper (and the fact that Taka paid helped with that). However, it didn’t last long, as Taka set him off again.

“So, what’s going on with you and Ayuko?” The taller boy asked as he took a small spoonful of his chocolate parfait. The table went quiet. Senkuu looked up at Taka before glancing to Tatako, who sat beside him. She rose her brow at him before looking back at her own dessert. Senkuu looked next to Miyuki, but she avoided his gaze. “What? Did I say something?”

“No.” Senkuu said as he looked back up at his friend, “It’s fine. Ayuko and I had a misunderstanding, that’s all.”

“Really?” Taka rose an eyebrow, “What kind of misunderstanding?” Senkuu took a small scoop of his matcha ice cream and ate it before speaking again.

“She was under the impression we were romantically involved. Which we weren’t.” Senkuu said simply. Taka’s eyebrows shot up as he quickly removed his sunglasses (revealing his wide, brown eyes).

“Seriously? I thought you two were dating.”

“We weren’t.” Senkuu said, a slight edge to his voice.

“I mean, everyone said you-,”

“Then everyone was _wrong_.” He sighed in frustration. Taka blinked at him a few times before his expression relaxed.

“So, you two weren’t dating?”

“No.” Senkuu said as he looked back at his ice cream.

“So, you didn’t break up. Because you were never dating.”

“Correct.” Senkuu said, looking back up at him. Taka clicked his spoon against his bowl a few times before humming.

“So…you’re _not_ dating anyone.”

“Correct again.”

“But you’re open to-,”

“No.” Senkuu interrupted as he pointed his spoon at him, “We’ve been over this. I don’t date. I don’t have the time or energy for it, and frankly I find the very thought troublesome.”

“Yeah, but, you and Ayuko were ‘kind of’ dating.” Taka said with air quotes. Senkuu frowned at him.

“No, we weren’t. There’s no ‘kind of ‘dating. You’re either involved, or you’re not. We weren’t involved-,”

“But you were _kind of_-,”

“No, we _weren’t._” Senkuu stressed. Taka leaned his elbow on the table and placed his chin in his hand.

“So, there was _no_ involvement.”

“Right.”

“Because it was Ayuko? Or because it’s the idea of it-,”

“Because the _idea_ is illogical to me.” Senkuu corrected, the irritation clear in his voice. How many times did he have to explain this to people? Taka tapped his spoon against his bowl again (which was becoming increasingly annoying) before he spoke again.

“So…even if you _wanted to_-,”

“Which I don’t-,”

“You still wouldn’t-,”

“Taka,” Senkuu interrupted, “There’s no argument here. I don’t want to date. Therefore, I will not.”

“Yeah, but-,”

“No _buts_ or _ifs_. It’s just a no. A big, giant ‘no’. Ok?” Senkuu said slowly, as if he was speaking to a very _annoying_, very _stupid_ child. Taka lifted his spoon and clinked his bowl over and over again (and Senkuu glared at the spoon and forcefully willed himself not to snatch it out of his friend’s hand and fling it across the restaurant).

“But, you’ve never _tried_, right? You can’t say you don’t want something if you don’t _try _it first.”

“I don’t _need_ to try.” Senkuu said as he narrowed his eyes, “I know what I want and don’t want. And I _don’t_ want that-,”

“But you’ve never _tried_ dating. Can you really be so sure-,”

“Yes, I CAN be so sure.” Senkuu snipped, his body temperature rising again.

“But if you just _tried_-,”

“Why are you arguing with me on this? You never used to _argue _with me-,”

“I’m just saying-,”

“Why are you being so _pushy_-,”

“Why are _you_ being so closed _minded_?” Taka said, a bit more aggressively. Senkuu’s eyebrows shot up in a moment of surprise before they furrowed and his eyes narrowed.

“I’m not being _closed minded_, idiot. If I don’t want-,”

“You can’t _know_ what you want if you’ve never-,”

“Why are you ARGUING with me on this?” Senkuu snapped.

“Why are YOU arguing with me on this?” Taka countered angrily, which threw Senkuu for a loop because Taka did _not_ get angry about things. He rather sit there and shrug life away than actually get _involved _in anything. Senkuu collected himself before narrowing his eyes at his friend.

“I have the right to decide what I want to do with my life, and I don’t need some pissy teenager breathing down my neck about experiences I want _nothing_ to do with!”

“You can’t just close yourself off from people and act like you don’t care about these things!” Taka snapped.

“That’s because I _DON’T _care!”

“EVERYONE our age-,”

“NOT ME-,”

“-cares! I’m just trying to help you-,”

“You are _not_ helping!” Senkuu snipped.

“It doesn’t make sense to hate something you’ve never even tried-,”

“Since when do YOU CARE what I DO with MY TIME-,”

“Because you’re being illogical!”

“I’M ILLOGICAL?! _You’re_ the one-,”

“Just SHUT UP and LISTEN-,”

“NO!” Senkuu suddenly barked, his voice carrying across the restaurant as the other diners turned to look at him. “YOU listen!” Senkuu seethed, “11 times you’ve asked me if I’m dating someone, or _why_ I’m not dating someone, or _when _I’ll date someone. And _11_ times I’ve given you the _same answer_. And _11 times_ you _accepted_ those answers! So why are you fighting me on it _now_?!” Senkuu sneered, “Nothing’s _changed_! I’m the same! You’re the same! Everything is the same! Nothing’s changed!” Senkuu sat back in his chair and glared at his melting ice cream, his anger cooling as he became tired of the whole thing, “Damn it, Taka. We’ve known each other for years, but you always bring up _this_ topic! After I’ve told you time and again that I don’t _care,_ and I don’t _want_ to talk about it.” He huffed angrily, “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say-,” And then it hit him in the stomach like a brick. And it knocked the air out of him, and for a moment he couldn’t breath. He just stared down at the melting slob of sugar and fats that sat in his bowl. He blinked, then blinked again.

And then he slowly looked up at Taka, who stared right back. His face was neutral, his spoon poised halfway to take another scoop of his parfait. Senkuu suddenly looked to Tatako, but she simply gave him a cool look in return. There was no mocking or teasing or nagging. She just looked at him. Next, his eyes fell on Miyuki, who continued to avoid his gaze, who poked at her parfait while her face blazed red. And his eyes fell back on Taka, who just stared at him. And slowly, Taka put his spoon down. And he stared at him. And he said _nothing_.

Because it was happening. That moment where eyes lock and everything goes quiet, and neither person speaks. But there are words. Words flow between space. Entire sentences- entire conversations happen in a matter of moments.

But Senkuu didn’t understand. He couldn’t read the code. He couldn’t interpret what the silent words were. He couldn’t make sense of them. But deep down in his gut, he did. His instincts knew. The human part of him, which he often pushed aside, could hear the soft calls of words unspoken- could understand. And suddenly, the table seemed incredibly long. It stretched so he and his friend became further and further apart. And his stomach twisted and turned at the message and

No.

No.

_No_.

He knew Taka. He’d known him for years. They went to elementary school together. They had the same homeroom teacher together. Taka came to his house to work on school projects. He came to his house to play video games. They had _study_ groups together. Taka played soccer with Taiju. Taka was one of Taiju’s _closest friends_-

They were lab partners! They were science friends! They had always worked together since they joined science club! They were _partners_.

He _knew Taka_.

He _knew _him.

And Taka knew _him too_.

Taka had constantly been there for Senkuu’s rants about relationships. He had listened to hours of Senkuu’s long lectures about the importance of goal setting and pursuit of knowledge and how love and romance _got in the way_ of those things. He knew Senkuu found it illogical! He _knew _that! He _understood that_!

And in March, when it was pouring rain outside, and both they and Taiju couldn’t get a ride so they all had to wait 2 hours for Taka’s sister to come pick them up from school, Senkuu had said it out loud- had made it clear. He had told them he didn’t understand. He had told them how he found it increasingly difficult to relate. He had looked Taka _dead in the eyes_ and said he didn’t think he’d ever be in a relationship. He had told him that the thought of physical contact _literally confused him._

And Taka _nodded_.

With that movement, he expressed _understanding_. He expressed _acknowledgment._

And now, here they were, only 4 months later, and…and…

Senkuu’s fingertips felt numb as the colour drained from his face.

He couldn’t care less who or what Taka had romantic feelings for. It didn’t concern him. He literally spared no thought on such a thing.

But THIS.

NO.

They were lab partners. They were _comrades_. They were _friends_.

It couldn’t- _he_ couldn’t-

Senkuu looked at his _friend_ and searched his eyes. He tried to understand. He wasn’t good at comprehending these things, so maybe-

But Taka just stared back.

And he said _nothing._

And in that moment, as Senkuu looked into the eyes of the boy he had known for years, he finally saw it. Taka was a little taller. His face a bit more refined. His eyes older, more experienced than their glossy, starry eyed counterparts of years prior. And as Senkuu stared at Taka, he saw he had changed.

And only one word, one thought penetrated to the forefront of his mind.

_Traitor._

Senkuu shot out of his chair, causing it to almost topple over. The sudden noise broke the silent conversation, it broke the quiet spell on his peers, and now they all stared at him in shock.

“What-,”Tatako began, but he cut her off.

“I have to go.” He croaked. And before he could see a reaction, he bolted out of the restaurant. He didn’t look back. He didn’t even think (which was rare). He just let his instinct grab him by the throat and lead him wherever it pleased.

And that place just happened to be beneath a bridge, just an 8 minute walk from his house. He lay on the grass, the river beside him rushing past as he tried to calm his breathing. He was on his back, his arms outstretched beside him and his legs sprawled out, like some kind of moth tacked to a board. He felt like that, at the moment. Pinned down. Exposed. Vulnerable.

Kind of dead.

He stared up at the stone bridge above him as he willed his brain to fill with equations and push out any stupid thoughts on emotions. After he ran here and proceeded to have a very small freak out, he collapsed onto the ground and decided to just remain there until he was sure he could face the world again.

So, he did what he always did. He named all the elements on the periodic table. Then he did some difficult math equations. Then he measured the bridge using only his eyes and the knowledge of how long his body was.

His heart finally stopped hammering in his chest, and his stomach no longer felt like it was going to forcefully remove itself from his body.

And he could finally think.

Maybe he was wrong? Maybe it was just a big misunderstanding? Taka hadn’t said anything. Nobody had said anything. Really, unless Taka outright told him what he was thinking, Senkuu couldn’t just _assume_ he knew what was up with the other boy. In fact, it was rude to go around assuming things about people.

And besides, even if Taka did feel that way (which he most certainly didn’t), it didn’t make him a traitor.

No…it just meant he was like other people.

Senkuu frowned. Somehow, he would rather Taka be a traitor. It was easier to feel angry and hurt at a traitor then to feel the overwhelming disappointment of knowing your ally is just like other people.

To know that he simply just…didn’t listen.

Didn’t care.

_Technically, it would mean he cares too much. You know, what with caring being linked to romantic attraction._

_…_

_…_

_…_

_Traitor._

Suddenly, a face appeared far above Senkuu’s head. The individual blinked at him before he smiled like a dumb puppy.

“Hey, buddy.”

“Hey, Taiju.” Senkuu sighed. The other boy grinned happily.

“What are you doing?”

“What does it _look_ like I’m doing, Taiju?” Senkuu asked, his voice completely void of emotion.

“Looks like you’re taking a break on the grass.”

“Yup. You got it right on the head.” Senkuu said robotically. Taiju looked around.

“Mind if I join in?”

“Knock yourself out.” Taiju proceeded to lay down next to Senkuu and also spread his body out like a star fish. A silent moment passed between them before Taiju spoke.

“You know, looking at the clouds would be a lot more fun then looking at these stones.”

“I’m doing an experiment.”

“About what?”

“About stones and bridges.”

“Neat.” And they fell into silence once more. A gentle breeze rustled the grass as two people crossed the bridge, their voices muffled. Senkuu blinked slowly as he stared at the stones. They were dark and grey and just a little bit moldy.

After an eternity, Senkuu spoke.

“Taiju?”

“Yeah?”

“You don’t have a crush on me, do you?”

“Uhhhhhhh, nope! I like Yuzuriah.” He said, and Senkuu could practically hear his stupid grin.

“Are you positive?”

“Yup!” Taiju sighed happily. “She’s just…she’s amazing, Senkuu. She’s kind and gentle and sweet…and she’s a hard worker! And she’s strong too! Not as strong as me, but still really strong!” The joy oozing from his voice was almost sickening, “And she makes the cutest crafts! She even made me mittens this winter, did you see them?”

“Taiju, you shoved them in my face at least 20 times-,”

“Oh man, they were just the BEST mittens. And she said she might even make me a hat too.” Taiju giggled with glee, and it was disgusting. And Senkuu loved it because it wasn’t directed _at him_. “Also, uh, no offense Senkuu, but you’re kind of gross.”

“Thank you, Taiju.”

“Sorry.”

“No, I mean it, thank you.”

“And I mean it. I’m sorry.” Taiju sighed.

“…why?”

“Because I can’t return your feelings.” Senkuu flopped his head to the side so he could look at his best friend.

“…What the hell are you talking about, Taiju?” He asked, and Taiju flopped his head to the side so he could look back.

“Uh, well, you asked if I had a crush on you.”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah, so, uh, isn’t that like, a confession? Or something?” Senkuu narrowed his eyes ever so slightly.

“…No. It’s not. I was just wondering.”

“Oh,” Taiju then smiled again, “Ok.” He looked away from Senkuu and looked back up at the stones above them, “That’s good. I’d never want to hurt your feelings.”

“Taiju, I told you I don’t have romantic int-,”

“Yeah, I know. That’s why I thought it was weird. But like, if you were confessing, I shouldn’t tell you what you feel or don’t feel, right?” Senkuu continued to stare at his friend as Taiju smiled dumbly at the bridge. Another long moment passed before Senkuu spoke again.

“I’ll only say this once.”

“Ok.”

“Taiju, I love you-,” Taiju immediately looked at his friend in bewilderment.

“But you just said you _didn’t _love me-,”

“You didn’t let me finish, you imbecile.” Senkuu snapped, “I love you _platonically_.” Taiju stared at him for a long, looooong moment before speaking.

“What do the planets have to do with your crush on me-,”

“Not planets, you idiot! Platonic! Like Philia!” Taiju blinked at him, a blank expression in his eyes.

“Uhhhhhh……” His mouth hung open like some stupid cow, “Wasn’t that the name of some British guy? Phillip? Or uh…Philly…” Senkuu slapped himself in the face.

“Not-like a brother!” Senkuu stretched out his hands and strangled the air, “I love you like a brother! Like we’re brothers!”

“Ohhhhhh.” Taiju said as he nodded.

“I-UGH!” Senkuu convulsed for a second in anger, “Why can’t you and Yuzuriah just GET TOGETHER already! She’s at least 3 times smarter than you! I could use her as some sort of- idiot translator!”

“Hey!” Taiju said with a frown, “She’s not an idiot!”

“No! But clearly she _speaks_ idiot since she _talks to you!_”

“I can’t tell if you’re insulting me or her, so I’m just going to tell you that it’s not nice to call a girl stupid!”

“UGH!” Senku slammed his fists into the dirt and ground his teeth. “I’m insulting YOU! I’m calling YOU AN IDIOT!”

“OH!....well, that’s ok.” Taiju then went back to staring happily at the stones while Senkuu silently fumed beside him. They stayed like that for a while, and Senkuu’s anger dissipated. The sun slowly crept across the sky as the shadows elongated across the ground. Soon, the crickets began to chirp as the ground was bathed in an orange and red glow.

“Taiju,” Senkuu said, finally breaking the silence, “Do you think we could just…go somewhere?”

“Like Disneyland?”

“No, Taiju. Not like Disneyland.” He sighed.

“Oh.”

“Like…I don’t know.” Senkuu shrugged, “Just…I’m tired of everyone. I’m tired of relationships and having to understand people without them saying anything. I just want things to be simple and straight forward.” He looked at his friend. “You just say things as they are. If you feel something, you say it. And when I tell you something, you don’t question me on it. You just accept it.”

“Well, yeah.” Taiju grinned as he looked back at his friend, “That’s what friend do.” There was another long pause as Senkuu looked back up at the dark stones above them. It was getting darker now. He hadn’t checked the time in hours (he turned off his phone. Like hell he was going to let Tatako find him).

“Taiju, do you think I’m wrong?”

“About what?”

“About…the idea that I don’t want to date people.”

“I think that’s ok.”

“And what about the fact that I’m not…attracted to people.” There was only a slight pause before Taiju spoke.

“You know, I read that some people are attracted to cats. I’m happy you’re not attracted to cats.”

“…me too.”

“But if you were a little attracted to people, or wanted to date someone a little bit, that’d be ok too.” Taiju nodded to himself. “A little is ok, or none is ok. Or a lot is ok.”

“…yeah-,”

“Its like when I was at my aunt’s house and she made some cake, and we had just had this HUGE dinner, so I only wanted a little cake. So, I told my aunt, ‘I only want a little cake’, and then she gave me this HUGE SLICE OF CAKE!” Taiju raised his hands in the air and motioned to a slice of cake that would be as large as a dog. Senkuu snorted as his friend continued, “And I was like, MAN! How am I going to eat this much cake! I like cake, but I don’t want THAT MUCH cake! And then everyone was looking at me and waiting for me to eat the whole slice of cake, but I couldn’t because I was too full. But I made myself eat it. And then I threw up later.” Taiju looked back at Senkuu, “You know what I mean?” Senkuu grinned.

“I think so.”

“Like, if you told me you wanted a little cake, I’d give you a little cake because I know you don’t want a lot. But if someone gives you a BIG slice of cake if you only want a little, then they’re not being a very good friend, are they?” Taiju turned back to the stones above, “Or like, if you decided you don’t want _any_ cake because you’re on a diet , or you’re actually allergic to sugar or something, then I wouldn’t give you any cake. Maybe everyone else is eating cake and you’re just snacking on oranges.”

“Gotta love those oranges.” Senkuu grinned.

“And like, it wouldn’t be ok if you were shoving oranges at people while they wanted cake. Like, if I wanted a big slice of cake and you were like, ‘Taiju. You can’t have any cake because you’re too fat’, then I’d be SUPER bummed out! Because I want cake, but I can’t have any, AND you called me fat! That would SUCK. You’d be a TERRIBLE friend!” Taiju said dramatically, as Senkuu tried to stifle his laughter, “Plus, I don’t even like oranges! Yeah, I said it! I’m just not that into them, ok?! I’ll eat them if I’m sick, but in general I just, I just don’t like oranges! What’s the big deal?! Maybe I want to eat cake instead of oranges! Get over it!” He smiled as Senkuu broke out into laughter. A giggle ran up Taiju’s throat, and soon the two of them were laughing like idiots.

Soon, their laughter died down into chuckles, and Senkuu wiped his eyes.

“Man, what is it like to be in your head.” Senkuu laughed a little, “You’re so friggin _weird_, Taiju.” But Taiju just grinned. Senkuu stretched and placed his hands behind his head. “Yeah…cake, oranges…who knows. Everyone makes it out to be such a big deal, but this strange analogy makes it seem…as it should. Something simple.”

“Yeah, I don’t see why you have to decide if you want any cake or oranges right now.” Taiju shrugged. “There’s always gonna be cake. I can name 10 bakeries in walking distance that sell cake. You could have cake tomorrow…or when you’re like…30…maybe even 60. Or you could just eat oranges…” Taiju’s eyebrows began to knit together.

“…what? Something wrong?”

“To be honest…I’m kind of confused if we’re talking about actual cake right now, or like…metaphorical cake.” Taiju frowned, “And now I_ really_ want some cake.”

“Well, we have been laying here for a few hours.” Senkuu slowly sat up and stretched again. “Come on. I’ll buy you some cake and we can play Mario Kart or something.” Taiju shot up.

“Wh-Really! You’ll pay?!”

“Sure.” Senkuu grinned, “Why not.”

“AWESOME!” Taiju said excitedly as he quickly stood up. “Aw man! I know just what I want! There’s this place that sells the _best_ chocolate cake-,” Senkuu stood up and waved lazily at his friend.

“Lead the way, Shackleton.” Senkuu chuckled, and off they went, side by side.

That night, Senkuu sat by his computer as he waited for his father to sign on to Skype. His phone sat on the table, and Senkuu looked at it every now and again with great indignation.

Well, of course he had to turn on his phone _eventually_. And awaiting him were all sorts of text messages from Tatako and Taka, demanding to know where he went and why he left. Tatako’s were all filled with lectures on how rude it was to just leave without an excuse, and how Miyuki was now worried that he was sick, or his house was on fire or something. And Taka’s began with concern, but by the 7th text message had turned into pissy arguments about how Senkuu was being immature and stupid (the last two demanding Senkuu text him back and questioning if they were even friends-

Which didn’t sound AT ALL like Taka. The Taka he knew was calm and easy going and neutral to almost EVERYTHING.

But it just showed just how little Senkuu knew of his friend).

Miyuki had sent him one kind, little text message, simply saying she hoped he was alright, and if he needed anything she was there to listen.

(Out of all the texts, he had only replied to hers because he knew she would keep herself up late worrying about him, and because he believed in positive reinforcement. He simply told her he forgot a dangerous experiment at home and was busy fixing it).

You know, he could REALLY do without the teenage soap opera that was his current life.

His computer suddenly began to chime, and he immediately answered the video call from his father. A moment later, Byakuya showed up on the screen.

“Hey, Senkuu-,”

“I’ve got a problem.” Senkuu said immediately. Byakuya gave a surprised expression.

“Oh, uh, ok.” Byakuya cleared his throat, “What’s up?”

“I think one of my friends has a crush on me-,”

“Another one?” The older man asked in surprise, and Senkuu gave him an angry look. Byakuya chuckled awkwardly, “Sorry! Sorry.” He cleared his throat again, “Uh, what happened?”

Senkuu related his story of that afternoon. Of Taka joining their outing. Of them all getting dessert.

Of Taka starting a nonsensical argument. Of Senkuu trying to logically explain the facts to him. Of Taka not listening.

Of his friend beating over the same argument. Of Senkuu raising his voice.

Of realizing that Taka’s constant interest in his romantic life may have been because he himself was interested.

“Wow…ok…that’s a lot.” Byakuya said when Senkuu finished. By then, Senkuu was crossing his arms and staring angrily at his phone (it had buzzed once during his story, seemingly just to anger him). “Well…let’s go over everything. Let’s analyze the facts.” Senkuu nodded at that. He could do that. He was good at analyzing facts. “So, Taka started an argument around the idea that you should be open to dating.”

“Yes.”

“And he didn’t drop the argument when you asked him to stop.”

“I told him how it was. But he just wouldn’t let it go.” Senkuu said with a frown.

“Ok…” Byakuya nodded, “And because he kept harping on it, you think that he has a crush on you.”

“Correct.” Byakuya nodded again, but this time a bit more slowly.

“Did he _say_ he had feelings for you, or…_imply _it in some way?”

“No.” Senkuu said, already feeling calmer while talking to his father, “But this is the 12th time he’s brought up the subject. And the fact that he seemed so…_emotional_ about it didn’t sit right.”

“Ok.” Byakuya leaned back in his chair, “Well, even though it _sounds_ like he might have a crush on you, it’s good to not jump to conclusions. He might just be _incredibly_ nosy, that’s all.”

“True…but his text messages are…_troublesome_ as well.” Senkuu said as he looked at his phone once more.

“Yeah, the fact that he’s getting so angry about the whole thing does give weight to your argument. Typically, even nosy people don’t harp on something _that_ much unless they’re invested in some way.”

“Exactly!”

“Even so,” Byakuya adjusted himself, “Unless he says otherwise, you shouldn’t assume he has feelings for you.” Senkuu looked back at his father and gave a hesitant look.

“But the evidence says otherwise.”

“Even still.” Byakuya shrugged, “It just isn’t right to assume those things about someone.” Senkuu looked off to the side, a feeling of uneasiness settling in his gut. “That being said,” His father sighed, “It doesn’t mean you have to act like nothing happened. He overstepped a boundary today by pushing you on something you didn’t want to talk about.”

“Yeah…” Senkuu looked once more at his phone, “I don’t really know where to go from here. I was just going to let it go, but he keeps texting me.” Senkuu frowned further, “And it’s still about the _same thing_. I just don’t understand why he won’t let it _go_.”

“Senkuu, he’s 14. He still doesn’t understand proper boundaries.”

“But I don’t know how many more times I have to explain it to him.” Senkuu looked back at his father, “Just thinking about it is exhausting. How do I explain it in a way he understands?”

“Senkuu, listen to me,” Byakuya said as he leaned forward, “You’ve explained enough. At this point, you don’t need to explain anymore.”

“But he won’t let it go-,”

“And that’s _his_ problem. You’ve said your piece. If he still wants to harp on it, that’s his issue, not yours.” Senkuu furrowed his brows.

“So, what, I keep ignoring him until he lets it go? I feel like that isn’t going to happen.”

“No. You’re going to tell him the discussion is over. Then, if he keeps going on about it, you just tell him to stop.”

“But I did tell him to st-,”

“And that’s all you say after that. Just say ‘stop’ or ‘no’.” Byakuya waved his hand, “And you keep saying that until he stops. Because he can’t keep talking about it forever. If you put up a metaphorical brick wall, he’ll eventually stop punching it.”

“But what if he _doesn’t_ stop?” Senkuu chewed his lip, “What if he-,”

“Then you stop responding. And you don’t respond, even if he calls you- even if he gets furious. And if he shows up at the house, then you don’t explain anything. Just tell him to stop. And if he doesn’t, close the door.”

“But-,”

“And if _that_ doesn’t work, then call Taiju over. Taka can yell and hit that boy until he’s blue in the fact, but Taiju won’t budge.” Senkuu blinked.

“I doubt it’d come to _that_.” He said, and his father shrugged.

“Like I said. Just say no a few times. If he doesn’t listen, ignore him after that.” Byakuya scratched his stubble, “I learned that back in university. It’s called the ‘broken record’. You literally just keep saying no to someone until they finally get it. And when it comes to messages, say no, then ignore them. Don’t feed into it.” Byakuya the crossed his arms. “If he’s your friend, he should stop long before that. And if he doesn’t, then you don’t need him in your life.” Senkuu leaned back in his chair and sighed.

“I just wish I didn’t have to keep explaining things to people. First of all, it’s none of their business. Second of all, who cares? And third of all, it just gets so tiresome. And it wastes _time._”

“Son, listen to me.” Byakuya said, and paused so he had Senkuu’s undivided attention, “You don’t owe _anyone_ an explanation for why you don’t want to be romantically involved with anyone. You don’t owe anyone an explanation for why you don’t want to be _physically_ involved with anyone. You’re right. It _isn’t_ their business. If you give them a simple answer and they don’t accept it, then you change the subject. Or ignore them. You don’t owe anyone any personal information. _You_ choose who knows those things.”

“But people don’t stop. It’s like, everyone wants to know everything.”

“Yeah, because people are nosy jerks.” His father said with a grin, but it immediately faded, “Even so, your life is yours. Unless it directly pertains to them, they don’t need to know. And even if it _does_ pertain to them in some way, if you don’t want to get into it, don’t get into it. They can’t _force _you to talk about those kinds of things.” Senkuu nodded slowly as he wrapped his head around it.

“I guess…that’s true. Nobody can force me to talk about it…”

“And they _shouldn’t_. Just like nobody should force you to _do_ something you’re uncomfortable with, nobody should force you to _talk_ about something you’re uncomfortable with. The same rules apply.” Byakuya frowned, “Seriously, what do they teach you in school? Shouldn’t you be having class lectures about boundaries and personal space and stuff?”

“Nah. They focus more on safe sex.” His father sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

“Like, that’s great, but there are seriously other things that need to be discussed too. You don’t just go from 1 to 100. There are numbers in between that need to be talked about.” He looked up at his son. “Well, I hope this all helps in some way.” Senkuu smiled.

“It does.”

“Good.” He sat up, “So, you’ve got a game plan?”

“Yeah.” Senkuu grinned, “I’m going to tell him to bugger off.”

“Cool.” Byakuya said as he gave a thumbs up. Senkuu’s grin faltered.

“But…what do I do after that?”

“What do you mean?”

“How do I act around him?”

“Act like you always have.” Byakuya said with a shrug. But Senkuu frowned. There was a moment of silence before his father spoke again, “Or…is that too hard?”

“It’s not that it’s hard. It’s just…” Senkuu looked off to his bookshelf as he tried to put his thoughts into words. Normally, such a thing was simple for him. But this was…intricate. The thoughts were laced with…feelings. Odd feelings. Deep feelings. “I’ve known Taka for years. But if he does have feelings for me, it feels like he’s been…_lying_ to me.” Senkuu looked at his father for some kind of cue, but he remained silent, instead giving a slight nod for him to continue. “I’ve always thought we were just friends. So, it’s been…safe. Like, I wouldn’t have to worry about him saying anything or…doing anything.” Senkuu narrowed his eyes in thought, “When Miyuki confessed to me, I hardly knew her, so it didn’t change my opinion of her. And Ayuko…it wasn’t a big surprise. I mean, people kept warning me about it- _you_ warned me about it. And with her it was…” He looked off, not quite knowing how to say it. Because with Ayuko it wasn’t what he wanted but…it wasn’t…so far off. It was like…in the future, maybe, _maybe, _he could _possibly_ consider it…under the right circumstances, and in the right moment.

But this was out of left field. He had no warning. It felt like he had this image of Taka, and now it was being torn down, and behind it was something completely different. Something…unfamiliar.

“I just…it makes me question him. I thought I knew him, but clearly, I don’t. I feel... It’s like…what if the Taka I know _isn’t_ the real Taka, which means I don’t know him at all.” Which would mean, where he normally had his guard up around others, he had let it down for Taka. Where he had watched himself around others, he had spoken and acted freely around his friend.

Senkuu’s eyes shifted from one place to the next.

“I’ve always held a kind of…_disdain_ for people who were attracted to me. Mostly because I don’t understand it. And because they act _weird_ about it. Like they don’t listen to reason. They just listen to what they _feel_\- which, by the way, was reinforced when Ayuko completely threw logic aside.” He chewed his lip again, “It’s almost like they’re my enemies. I know they’re not, but it just, it _seems_ like they are. And now with Taka,” Senkuu furrowed his brows, “It feels like he’s with the enemy. It’s like he’s _betrayed _me. Like he some sort of…_spy_ who got past my defences. And now I question his motive on things. Are we lab partners because we’re friends? Or because he has feelings for me? Did he really want to join the science club, or did he do it just to get close to me?” He narrowed his eyes, “Does he even _like_ science? Or has he just been lying about everything?” He chewed his lip as he looked off.

Confusing. And they led to more thoughts, and more theories-

“Today, he kept hitting my back as a joke. And then after he put his arm around me. And it ticked me off, but I wasn’t incredibly _uncomfortable_. It was just _annoying_ because he’s my friend. It’s always annoying when my friends touch me. I know they sometimes do it to tick me off. But if he touched me with an underlying message of…_romantic purpose_,” Senkuu cringed as his stomach rolled, “Then it just feels like I was…” He blinked. Open? He felt open? He felt…exposed? Unsafe?

“Violated?” His father asked, and Senkuu suddenly nodded very quickly.

“Yeah- well, maybe not that strong of a word, but I wouldn’t have let him get away with it if I knew it was _romantic_. If I knew those were his intentions, then I’d keep a distance between us.” He looked up, “It’s like, I let Tatako always sit beside me in our classes because we’re friends, sure, but also because I _trust _her. I know she isn’t attracted to me _at all_. If she ever does poke me or…or _touch _me in anyway, it’s platonic and…almost sisterly.” Senkuu looked back at his father. “It’s the same with Taiju. I tolerate Taiju’s monthly hugs because I know there isn’t anything to them. They’re safe and friendly. And it was the same with Taka. But now, I don’t know.” Senkuu ran his hand through his hair, “It’s like if I thought Tatako suddenly had feelings for me.” His stomach twisted violently at the thought, “If I thought she had feelings for me I’d probably _throw up_.” He finally stopped and looked back at his father. But Byakuya seemed unfazed. He had a slightly concerned expression, but he didn’t show signs of alarm or shock. He simply nodded.

“So, you feel like Taka has betrayed your trust because he might have a crush on you.”

“Yes.”

“And that would be a betrayal because you don’t let people with romantic intentions get too close.”

“I just…the rules are different with them.”

“Hmm.” Byakuya said. He nodded slowly before sitting up in his chair, “Well, for now, it’s important to remember that you don’t know for sure _how_ your friend feels.” Senkuu nodded as well, “However, if you want to keep him at a bit of a distance now to be safe, that’s ok too. You get to choose who gets to be physically and emotionally close to you. And if you want to put some distance between you and your friend, that’s ok.”

“But what if he gets pissy about it?”

“What, you mean more pissy than he already is?” The two grinned at each other and Senkuu let out a snort.

“No, like…I don’t know. Apparently, he now gets dramatic about stuff. What if he gets all dramatic about it and throws a fit?”

“Then he should get the hell over it. Tell him he overstepped your boundaries when he kept harping on you about dating, so now you’re putting up some distance. If he cares about your friendship, sure, he might be ticked off, but he’ll get over it and accept it. If he gets more upset, then it sounds like he needs to get his emotions in check.”

“Which is his problem.”

“Exactly!” Byakuya snapped finger guns at him, “Now you’re catching on.” They grinned at each other as Senkuu felt his worries shrink and melt away. A moment passed between them before Senkuu spoke.

“Thanks, dad.” He said simply. Byakuya smiled at him before suddenly gushing at the camera.

“OOOOOH! You’re so cute when you get all sentimental!” He gushed as he held his cheeks in his hands, “I remember when-,” Senkuu then shut his laptop, a smirk on his face. Less than a minute later, his phone began to buzz. He let it buzz twice before picking up.

“Hello?”

“Senkuu! You can’t just hang up on your father like that!” Byakuya yelled from the other end, mock hurt in his voice. Senkuu examined his nails.

“Sorry, I think this is the wrong number.”

“You’re breaking your old man’s heart, Senkuu!”

“Yeah, this is definitely the wrong number.”

“You’re just-,” Senkuu then hung up and put the phone on the table. He then watched it in amusement and waited. After 25 seconds, it buzzed again. He picked it up after the third buzz.

“Rello?”

“SENKUU!”

“I’m sorry, who is this?” He asked as he scratched his ear.

“YOU’RE SENDING YOUR OLD MAN TO AN EARLY GRAVE!”

“Uh, you’re going to have to speak up. You have a bad connection.”

“SENKUU!”

“Sorry, you’re cutting out.” He then held the phone away from him, “I can- ardly- ear- ou-.” Then he hung up again.

They proceeded like that three more times before Senkuu finally signed back onto Skype and resumed a normal conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Boundaries! Saying no when you’re uncomfortable! Awkward friendships that morph into something you don’t want! :D  
First, is Taka being a nosy jerk who can't get out of people's business? Is he getting angry because he doesn't know how to handle his own confusing feelings? Or is he just someone who likes to push peoples buttons? I don't know. Go ask him yourself.
> 
> This was based off two things. One, when my brother’s best friend told me he had been in love with me for years (and we grew up together, so it came out of no where and hit me in the face like a brick). And two, when some jerk wouldn’t get over the fact that I find relationships scary and physical contact HIGHLY frightening.
> 
> Needless to say, I felt betrayed by my friend because he suddenly represented things I was afraid of (fears I didn’t understand until much later). And as for the jerk, I unfortunately was too young and naive to realize I should have punched him in the face (you know, because he argued with me for half an hour that I should have sex with him to get over my fear of men and intimacy).  
Byakuya’s advice is also legit. I learned it a couple of years ago. It works best when face to face with someone. You literally just keep saying no. Don’t give long, complicated answers. Just say no over and over again until they either leave or let it go. And I’ll tell you what, it works. You should try it. 
> 
> Anyway, I’m super tired, so I’m going to bed. Please leave a comment if you can! Feedback is always appreciated.


	10. Age 14/ Age 17 (+3,700)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s here! The final chapter! We did it! High fives for everyone!  
This was originally going to go in a really different direction, but I like the way it turned out. Just a heads up, the beginning is kind of…boring. Actually, I’d say this isn’t the best chapter of this fanfic. It’s just meant to tie up some loose ends. I hope it’s still decent enough.  
Also, Gen comes into the picture. I…don’t know how to write Gen. I’m just not used to him. I feel like he was kind of OOC, but hopefully it was close enough. Anyway, there will be notes at the end.  
Onwards! To the ending!

Age 14 (mid July)

Life moved on.

Taka got over his hissy fit after Senkuu told him to drop it (and promptly ignored him until he did, in fact, drop the subject). Taiju’s baseball team got into nationals, so he was as busy as ever (and, of course, had little time to spend with Senkuu). And Byakuya was still away at training. He and Senkuu would sometimes video call, but usually they stuck to randomly texting one another.

The days of summer vacation continued to disappear. Senkuu kept busy with various experiments and even watched one of Taiju’s games (on television. He wasn’t about to pay to die of heat stroke in an open stadium).

During the third week of summer vacation, he got a call from Andrea. He was mildly surprised to see her on the caller ID (typically, if they had contact, she would text), so he picked up right away.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Ishigami. How’s it going?” The familiar voice asked. Senkuu blinked through his telescope as he adjusted his view.

“Fine. What’s up?”

“Nothin’ much. I’m just hanging out with Chris at the fish market.” Someone mumbled something in the background, “Uh, he says hi-,” There was more mumbling, “And that it smells.” Senkuu grinned.

“Tell him I say hi too.”

“Senkuu says hi.” There was a bit more mumbling while Andrea made a humming noise, “Right, anyway, Chris, some other students and I are going on a camping trip and we wanted to know if you wanted to come.” Senkuu immediately perked up.

“Really?”

“Yeah. We’re going to do a little cave exploring. It’ll just be a weekend trip, but we figured you’d get a kick out of it.”

“Didn’t you make a rule that we couldn’t hang out until I was 16?” He spoke into the phone as he moved away from the telescope.

“Yeah, I meant hanging out without anyone else around. There’ll be a couple of people on this trip. Besides, I promised I’d take you cave exploring when you were older, right?”

“I thought you meant when I was like, 17 or something.” He said with a snort.

“Yeah, I did too. But Chris convinced me that bringing you along won’t be a legal headache, so I figured I’d ask you. Anyway, you in?”

“I suppose I’ll have to check my schedule-,”

“Oh, as if you have anything more exciting going on. I bet you haven’t even left the house in three days-,”

“Two days, actually.” He jotted down a few notes into his notebook before placing it on his desk. “When is it, this weekend?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright. I suppose I could make room in my busy schedule.” He put his hand on his hip, “But only if you ask nicely.”

“How about I promise not to ditch you in the middle of the woods.”

“Ok, that works too.”

“Good. I’ll text you what you need to bring. We’re taking two cars up, so you can ride with Chris and I. I’ll send you more details after.”

“Alright. Sounds good.” They hung up and he smiled down at his phone. Cave exploring and camping with a couple of university students sounded like fun. He put his notes away and went to his laptop. He better check the weather for the weekend…

Age 17 (+3,700)

Senkuu was in the observatory when he heard movement coming up.

“Hey, Senkuu!” Chrome called out as he climbed into the room. Senkuu didn’t move.

“Hey.” He said as he blinked at Mars.

“What are you doing?” The young man asked as he walked up to him. Senkuu waved lazily at him.

“Making notes about the moving patters of Mars.” He stood up and looked at his friend. “What’s up?”

“I was going to go cave exploring tomorrow and wanted to know if you wanted to come.”

“Again?” Senkuu asked in amusement, “Sometimes I think you’d rather live in a cave.”

“Is that an option?” Chrome asked as Senkuu chuckled.

“No. The lack of sunlight would drive you insane, not to mention your sleep schedule would be thrown off.” He turned from his telescope, “Yeah. I don’t have anything big I’m working on-,”

“You mean _other_ than the giant project our entire community is working on?” A third voice said. Chrome visibly jumped while Senkuu just looked off to the side. There, in the darkness, was Gen, sitting up in his sleeping roll.

“Wha- how long have you been there?!” Chrome yelled, and Senkuu just crossed his arms.

“He slee-,”

“I sleep here sometimes.” Gen said as he yawned, “When our all mighty leader permits it.” Chrome looked to Senkuu, who shrugged.

“As long as he doesn’t touch anything, I couldn’t care less where he sleeps.”

“But no matter how many times I beckon him,” Gen sighed dramatically, “he just won’t-,”

“Anyway-,” Senkuu interrupted, “Do you need anything from the caves?” He asked as Gen frowned at him.

“Uh, yeah. We need more coal.”

“Coal, huh?” Senkuu said as he scratched his chin. He thought for a moment before speaking again, “I actually know a cave that has a boat load of coal.”

“Really?”

“I don’t like being ignored, you know.” Gen said loudly as the two ignored him.

“Yeah. It’s a bit of a walk from here- maybe…3 days?” Senkuu grinned, “But it’s something else. You’d probably get a kick out of it.” Chrome broke out into a large smile.

“Hell yeah! I’m in!”

“Great.” Senkuu put his hands on his hips, “We can pack up tomorrow and head out early.”

“And how do you know about this cave?” Gen asked casually.

“I went there once, with my teacher and some of her friends.” Senkuu said as he scratched his ear. “We didn’t even need to go that far down to find a huge coal deposit.” There was a brief moment of silence before Gen sighed.

“Well, I suppose I’ll need to come too.” Both scientists gave him a weird look.

“What? Gen, you don’t know anything about cave exploring. You’d be totally useless.” Chrome said, but Gen just shrugged.

“Well, maybe I suddenly have an interest in learning.” He looked over at Senkuu, “What do you say, village chief?” Senkuu gave him a curious look before shrugging.

“It doesn’t matter. More bodies means more people to carry things. Just don’t get in the way.” He said with a smirk. Gen gave an overly dramatic grin.

“Oh, you flatter me.” He said, waving the other off.

Age 14 (mid July)

The weekend finally came. He was unpacking his bag in a mountain pass parking lot while Chris went over their supplies one last time.

“You have your bag?”

“Yes.” Senkuu said as he put it on (IT WAS HEAVY).

“And you brought a reusable water bottle?”

“Yes.”

“And your sleeping bag.”

“Yes…”

“And your pajamas-,”

“Yes, _mom_, I brought the correct clothing. I also have my toothbrush before you ask.” Chris looked up from his list and blushed slightly.

“Hey, this might seem dumb, but it’s important to triple check things. You don’t want to be a couple hours into the woods and find out you forgot your flashlight.”

“We’ll be _fine_, Chris.” Andrea said as she heaved her own bag onto her back. “Besides, we have you with us. You’re the most outdoorsy person I know.”

“Skills are great, but unless you have the right tools, you could get yourself in a heap of trouble.” Chris huffed as he looked back at his list. Andrea smiled and looked at Senkuu.

“Chris’s dad was a big survivalist.”

“Interesting-,”

“And he was also a TOTAL nut job.”

“Hey!” Chris barked weakly.

“He used to hang meat outside the cottage to attract bears, and he made the kids carry hunting knives around with them to fight them off.” Senkuu’s mouth hung open.

“You fought a BEAR?!”

“I SCARED a bear!” Chris corrected as his face blazed, “I didn’t _fight_ anything! I j-just yelled at it and it ran off!”

“Chris can also catch fish with his bare hands-,”

“Why are you telling him this?” Chris interrupted and he folded his list. “This doesn’t have anything to do with-,” But it was too late. Senkuu’s eyes were already lit with curiosity.

“Really? How? What’s the technique? Is it all about timing, or is it more about the position and current of the water-,”

“Look, I can teach you later if you want. But right now-,”

“Hey!” Andrea suddenly yelled as a car pulled into the small, dirt parking lot. Chris and Senkuu looked over as Andrea jogged over to the car. “You guys made it!”

“Hey!” A young woman with long hair said as she got out of the car. She and Andrea hugged, and soon they (along with the two other men in the car) began to chat. Chris looked back at Senkuu, who lit up once more.

“If you know a lot about survival techniques, do you know how to make a fire completely from scratch? I’ve always wondered about the proper technique.” Senkuu said with excitement. Chris sighed as he leaned against the car.

“Sure. I know a few ways. It’s all about friction and creating an ember.” He looked back at the other young people coming their way, “I’ll show you later.”

“Great. I look forward to it.” Senkuu said with a grin.

Age 17 (+3,700)

Senkuu took in deep breaths as he hiked up the mountain path, his friends (Taiju, Chrome, and Gen) just ahead of him (which was funny since he was the one technically leading). Chrome sighed as he looked behind him.

“How are you out of breath? We’ve only been hiking for 2 hours-,”

“Yeah,” Senkuu gasped, “2 hours up a FREAKIN MOUNTAIN-,”

“WE WALKED for 3 DAYS! This should be EASY!”

“WE DIDN’T WALK UP A MOUNTAIN FOR 3 DAYS, IDIOT!” Senkuu yelled as Gen stopped walking.

“Senkuu, give me your bag. I’ll carry it-,” Gen said, and Senkuu glared at him.

“I can carry it, buddy!” Taiju chirped happily as he walked back up to Senkuu. Senkuu, without any hesitation, handed over his bag. Gen gave a dramatic, offended gasp.

“Oh, get over yourself.” Senkuu said as he bent over and leaned his hands on his knees, “I have special equipment,” He took a deep breath, “That needs to be handled delicately.” He said while Taiju slung the bag over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Senkuu sighed as Gen touched his own heart.

“I am _hurt_, Senkuu. _Offended, _even.”

“Oh, really?” Senkuu smirked as he looked up at Gen. The other man pouted.

“To think, you wouldn’t trust me after all this time. I myself am tired, but I offered to take your heavy burden unto my own. But you _cast_ my offer aside, like I was nothing but a bug.”

“Well, I’m sorry I offended you.” Senkuu chuckled as he caught his breath.

“You should be.”

“I’ll make it up to you.”

“You can right now.” In a flash, Gen tore off his traveling bag and threw it at Senkuu (who caught it before being knocked to the ground). “You can carry my bag.” Gen said with a sweet smile. Senkuu took in a few deep breaths before flipping him off.

Age 14 (mid July)

After what seemed like an eternity of hiking, Senkuu decided it would be nice to die on this mountain. It was calm and quiet, and the mixture of trees complimented the streams that flowed down its side. Yes. It would be nice to collapse and fall into the sweet slumber of death in this place.

In fact, he was going to do that right now.

“Let’s stop here.”

“Oh thank god.” Senkuu wheezed as he collapsed onto the ground. A few of the others chuckled while Andrea flat out laughed at him. He took off his backpack and shoved it aside before laying down with his back to the ground.

“Come on, Senkuu. You’re the youngest here! You should have more pep in your step.”

“Youth does not equal ‘pep’,” He gasped for air, “I’m a scientist. I belong in a lab.” He shielded his eyes to the sun, “My body was built for minimum exercise, not hiking up a _damn mountain_.”

“Hey, you agreed to come-,”

“Nobody mentioned hiking up a _mountain_.” He corrected as he began to catch his breath. Meanwhile, Chris had put his own bags down and was pulling out different equipment. “We can set up the tents now and collect firewood.” He looked up at the sky, “We still have a lot of light left, so we could probably look into the cave a little before setting up a fire for the night.”

“Neato.” Andrea said as Senkuu weakly lifted up his hand and gave his friend a thumbs up.

It took them a little while to set up their tents and collect fire wood, but finally they had set up camp and were ready to head to the cave. It was only 10 minutes from their camping spot and was easy to spot in the side of the mountain. They explored it for an hour and a half but weren’t able to go very deep. What they did see was amazing though. Senkuu took various pictures of the large stagnates and ore deposits before Andrea told them all it was time to head back (it would get dark soon, and they still had to make a fire).

As they walked out of the cave, something on the wall caught Senkuu’s eye. He stopped to look at it, and there was a little carving of a person’s name (dated from 1967). Senkuu grinned to himself as Chris came up.

“Did you find something?”

“Yeah, someone was here in the 60’s.”

“Huh…” Chris examined it before smiling, “Wonder what he was doing here.”

“Well, either way, this is his 1 minute of fame.” Senkuu smirked as he crossed his arms. There was a pause before Chris began rummaging through his pockets. After a moment, he pulled out a small knife. Senkuu looked at it before looking up at his tall friend. “What are you gonna do, write your name?” Senkuu smirked evilly, “Or, maybe you’ll draw a heart and write ‘Chris + Andrea’-,” Chris immediately shoved Senkuu, who laughed at him.

“I want to write something to show we were here.” Chris said. He then began to carve on the wall as Senkuu watched in mild amusement.

“Hey! You guys coming?” Someone called out. Chris waved them off.

“We’ll catch up with you!” He said as he continued to carve. It took Senkuu only a moment before he caught on to what Chris was doing.

“Your writing a chemical formula?”

“Yeah.”

“…Why?”

“Because it’s neat.” Chris said as he continued to carve. Senkuu frowned at him.

“Ugh, dopamine? Really? What are you, a middle school girl?” Senkuu mocked. Chris frowned at him.

“Hey, it’s cute. And it’s better than writing ‘love’ or making a little heart.”

“Give me that-,” Senkuu said as he snatched the knife out of Chris’ hand.

“Hey!” He said, but Senkuu ignored him as he began to carve his own formula into the wall. Chris waited and watched as Senkuu made quick work of the knife in the stone.

“This knife is gonna be wrecked after this…” Senkuu said as he continued to carve.

“It’s fine. It’s a crummy knife anyway.” They stood in silence for another moment, the only noises being the birds outside and the scraping of metal on stone. Finally, Senkuu stopped and stepped away from his work, a smile on his face.

“There.” He said proudly. Chris looked down at it, then at Senkuu, then back at the formula.

“…You wrote protactinium.”

“Yup.”

“…_why_?”

“I don’t know, why did you write _dopamine?_” Senkuu asked as he crossed his arms.

“Because dopamine is a chemical equated to love and happiness. Protactinium is…virtually _useless_.”

“Yeah.” Senkuu shrugged, “One of us wrote the formula for a chemical that annoys scientists, has virtually no useful functions, is ridiculously expensive, and eventually kills people. The other wrote protactinium.”

“Oh, ha ha! Very funny.” Chris said as he snatched his knife back, “You’re one of the most cynical people I’ve ever met, do you know that?” But Senkuu ignored him as he stared proudly as his work.

“Just think, hundreds of years from now, people are going to look at this wall and try to understand it. Scientists will write papers about our culture and try to connect it all to this wall carving.” He gave an evil grin, “It’ll be the troll of the millennia.”

“…You need therapy.”

Age 17 (+3,700)

Senkuu stared at the stone wall, his fingers gently gliding over the crude markings. He was right. After all this time, it was still here. It had lasted more than hundreds of years. It had lasted thousands.

“What’s that?” Chrome asked as he looked over Senkuu’s shoulder. Senkuu grinned.

“These are chemical formulas. Its what scientists wrote to make sense of chemicals. It helped us track them and make sense of their make up.”

“Oh. What’s that one?” He asked as he pointed to the one above them.

“That’s dopamine.” Senkuu grinned, “It’s-,”

“The chemical you feel when in love.” Gen said, coming up behind them. “It’s also related to passion amongst…_other _things. Things that our dear Senkuu is _severely lacking _in.” Gen said flatly. Senkuu continued to grin.

“I may have had a small release of dopamine once or twice in my life.”

“Oh, do _tell.” _Gen said as he came up beside his friend. Senkuu crossed his arms.

“Sure. I’ll tell you on my deathbed.”

“That can be arranged.”

“Pfft.” Chrome said as he linked his hands behind his head and leaned back, “Well I’ve never had any of that stuff. I don’t think about things like that.” Senkuu and Gen turned their heads to look at Chrome for one very long, uncomfortable moment.

“Why you lyin’?” Senkuu asked.

“Yeah, why you always lyin’.” Gen said. Chrome’s arms fell.

“What?”

“It’s a meme, never mind.” Senkuu said as he waved him off. “There’s a huge deposit of coal further down. Come on.”

Age 14 (July)

When they got back to their tents, it took them a little longer than usual to make a fire. Senkuu had insisted that Chris show him how to make a fire using natural tools and since they didn’t need a fire right away, nobody objected to the small lesson. Soon, they did have a fire going, and they set up the different chairs and logs in a circle around it. While the others began to cook dinner, Senkuu took a moment to check his phone. Byakuya had promised to annoy him with texts while he was on his trip, but he had yet to receive one from his father since coming up the mountain.

He had sent Byakuya a picture of his wall carving knowing his father would get a kick out of it. But still, no reply. Senkuu frowned at his phone. He probably had poor reception.

“Hey, Senkuu, what do you want with your hot dog?”

“Hot dog?” Senkuu asked as he put his phone away. Sure enough, Chris was cooking the American food over the fire. “Uh…where did you get hot dogs?”

“You always have to eat hot dogs when camping.” Chris said with a smile.

“…Ok…uh…surprise me.”

“Oh, you’ll regret that.” One of the other guys chuckled as he bit into his food. Senkuu just stared at the strange food and shrugged. He wasn’t a picky eater.

Age 17 (+3,700)

With bags filled with coal and other materials, they came to a small clearing in the woods and decided to set up camp for the night. Senkuu got the fire started while Gen and Taiju collected firewood (meanwhile, Chrome went out to get some dinner). Soon, they were all sitting around the fire, watching their vegetables and meat cook.

“You know, camping is great and all,” Gen began with a sigh, “But after doing it every day for 2 years, I’m starting to get sick of it.”

“Yeah, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss modern commodities.” Senkuu said.

“Like actual beds.” Gen sighed again.

“Or take out.” Taiju said happily.

“Or indoor plumbing.” Senkuu muttered. The three modern men nodded slowly as Chrome just watched them.

“What’s ‘plumbing’?” Chrome asked. Senkuu grinned as Gen opened his arms dramatically.

“It was this _amazing _system that let you have as much water as you wanted, just from turning on the tap.”

“…what’s a tap?”

“It’s part of a faucet.” Taiju said, which obviously didn’t help.

“It was a mechanism used to bring water into the house.” Senkuu explained as he pulled a stick out of the fire and checked the mushroom on it, “You could turn a small device, and hot or cold water would come out of it. This allowed people to wash things and get drinking water immediately.” He poked the mushroom before deciding it was good and reaching for the small salt bag beside him, “It also allowed people to get rid of human waste.”

“Well, why haven’t we invented that yet? It sounds pretty helpful.” Chrome said as he took a piece of meat off the fire.

“We’ll, first we’d need aqueducts. Then move up from there…trust me, it’ll take a bit before we’re in the age of indoor plumbing.”

“Man. We still have so much to do to get back to the way things used to be.” Chrome sighed as he took a bite of his meat.

“True, but the journey will be fun.” Senkuu said with a grin.

“You say fun. I say inconvenient.” Gen sighed as he took a piece of meat off the fire. But Senkuu continued to smile.

Age 14 (mid July)

One (very strange) meal later, and everyone (but Senkuu) was drinking beer by the fire. Senkuu watched in curiosity as the others talked and laughed and carried on. It was funny, he was always used to interacting with his peers, or with adults around his father’s age. But this age group- between his own and his father’s- he had little experience with. It was interesting now watching them interact. They didn’t have that awkward demeanour or fake confidence of others his age, and their conversations didn’t consist of their latest crush or complaining about their parents. But they also didn’t talk about spouses or children, and they didn’t sound bored or tired out. They had options. They still had different choices in life.

They spoke comfortably with each other. Probably because they seemed comfortable in _themselves_. Senkuu watched on, curious as to how something as simple as time and experience could warp someone of Senkuu’s age group into that of Andrea’s.

He joined in the conversation at times but couldn’t get a firm hold on it unless it directly pertained to his particular life or that of science. All other topics (university life, work, get togethers, hobbies) he couldn’t really find common ground.

As the night wore on, Senkuu would check his phone for updates from his dad. But still, there was nothing. Maybe his father didn’t get his text message? Should he send it again? The night continued, and soon the others began to go to bed.

“Hey, Senkuu. I’m going to bed now.” Chris said as he motioned towards their tent.

“I think I’ll stay up a bit longer.” Senkuu said as he looked at the warm fire.

“Sure. Just don’t stay up too late. We have more hiking tomorrow.” Chris grinned before he gave a thumbs up and headed towards their tent. Senkuu watched him go before looking up at the sky.

It was beautiful without the light pollution. Everything shone down with a particular glow that evening, as if the long day had made the night crisper and clearer. He leaned back on the log (he had eventually sat in front of it to use it as a back rest) and tilted his head to look at the stars. How many could he name? How many didn’t _have_ a name? Thousands. Tens of thousands. Millions. All expanding and bursting and fading out of existence. It made him feel small. But to him, that was a good feeling. He liked feeling small. He liked the humility that space washed over him. He was just an insignificant speck in the wholeness of the universe. He was just piece of dust as reality continued to expand. His eyes danced from one light to the other. Soon, his father would be up there, amongst the stars. How he wished he could go, just to know the feeling of being _in_ it all. Of seeing earth as just a ball of dirt and water, all the people invisible from space. No real countries. No real borders. Just a planet. Just a ball.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it.” Andrea said as she sat down beside him. He continued to gaze up, only humming her a reply. “You know what else is beautiful?”

“Andrea, if you ruin this by telling me _I’m_ beautiful, I will literally collect spiders and hide them in your bag.” He said flatly, not looking at her. She threw her head back and gave a hearty laugh before shaking her head.

“Man, you’re hilarious. I should have known I couldn’t out meme you.”

“You learned memes, Andrea.” He narrowed his eyes, still looking up, “But I was born in them, raised with them.” He blinked, “The memes and I are one.” He whispered before she laughed again. He smiled. He liked her laughter. It was strong and enthusiastic. Eventually, her laughter died down and soon they were both looking up at the vastness of space.

“You’re really into space, huh?” She asked, and he nodded. She smiled as she looked up. “My brother was really into space.”

“I see you used past tense. Did he grow tired of it?”

“No,” She paused, “He passed away.” He suddenly tore his eyes away to look at her, but she just kept looking up at the sky. He blinked at her.

“I’m…sorry.” He said, and she shrugged.

“It was a long time ago. I’ve come to terms with it.” She pulled one leg up to her chest and rested her arm on it, “You know, he used to talk about how, even though it looks the same, space keeps changing. Like, it seems one way, but really there are small changes that happen every year.”

“You mean the earth’s rotation?” He asked as he looked back up at the stars.

“No, like actual stars and stuff. What we see now, we might not see in a hundred years. Lots of the stars we see actually died out a long time ago, but we just don’t know that yet because light takes so long to reach us.” She let out a breath, “And…well, you don’t realize things have changed until it’s already happened.” Senkuu glanced at her, then back up at the stars.

“True. And we have no way of influencing those changes.” Senkuu blinked slowly, “It reminds me of how small we are.” Andrea hummed in response, and they fell into a silence. Senkuu vaguely became aware of the fact that they were the only two left awake, but he pushed that thought aside, instead deciding to enjoy the moment.

“Actually, it makes me think of people.” She finally said, “How they change little by little, and we hardly notice until one day, it’s just…there. And they’re different.” Senkuu remained silent as the thought sunk in. “To be honest, it reminds me of you.” She said, and once more his trance was broken, and he looked at her.

“Me? How?” He asked.

“You’ve changed throughout the time I’ve known you,” She said as she looked at him, “And I didn’t notice until today.” She smiled, “You’ve matured.” He immediately looked back at the sky and ignored the heat prickling his ears.

“I’m the same as I’ve always been.”

“No. You’ve grown up a bit.” She smiled.

“Hardly.”

“It’s true. You seem a lot more…emotionally aware.” He looked off into the dark forest as he calmed his slight increase in breath.

“You haven’t changed.” He said to the darkness. “You’re the same as you’ve always been.”

“Sure I have. You just haven’t noticed.” She grinned, “You know I’m complimenting you, right?”

“Yes.” He huffed.

“Is that why you’re too shy to look at me?” She asked, and he immediately turned to her.

“I’m not _shy_. I just- I don’t know why you brought this up all of a sudden.”

“I guess I just wanted you to know I noticed.” She shrugged before smiling again, “And it’s really cool seeing you grow up into a respectable guy-,”

“What do you mean by that?” He asked suddenly.

“Nothing. It’s just as I said.” He narrowed his eyes at her.

“You’re teasing me-,”

“I’m not _teasing_ you.” She said with a slight frown, “I’m trying to have a genuine moment with you-,”

“But what does that _mean_?” He stressed, and she frowned further.

“See, this. This is why you’re still a 14-year-old boy.” She sighed, “I’m not one of your hormonal classmates, Senkuu. There’s no hidden meaning behind my words. I’m literally just saying I’ve noticed you change. That’s it.” She sighed again, “This isn’t a high school drama. I’m not coming onto you, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“It isn’t.” He said quickly.

“Good.” There was a long pause as she looked at him, and he looked off at the fire. He chewed his lip, trying not to dwell on the small feeling of embarrassment and trying to move forward when she spoke again. “You know where we stand with each other, right?”

“Of course.” He snipped as he looked back at her. “I’m not stupid.”

“Because-,”

“I _know_.” He hissed, but without any anger or malice, “It isn’t like that.” He said as he glared at the fire. “You’re my _sensei_. I know thinking or feeling that would be-,”

_Humiliating_

_Foolish_

_Shameful_

_Filthy_

“Wrong.” He said simply. She stared at him for a long moment before finally speaking.

“It’s not _wrong._ Having feelings for someone doesn’t make you…_bad _or something.” He continued to observe the fire, “Regardless if the feelings are big or small. What matters is what you do with those feelings-,”

“I don’t _have-,_” He began, but she cut him off.

“I didn’t say you did. I’m just saying, feeling something in itself isn’t a bad thing. It’s what you do with feelings that matter.” There was a long moment of silence as Senkuu stared into the fire. He watched it consume the wood and air around it and crackle from the small amounts of moisture it ate. “Have you ever wanted to punch someone in the face?” He suddenly looked at her in bewilderment. She looked at him until he broke into an awkward, confused grin.

“Yeah.”

“Have you ever punched someone in the face because you wanted to?” She asked again.

“No.” He snorted.

“Why?”

“Because I’ve learned that it’s socially unacceptable to punch people in the face.” He lifted his hand, “Not to mention, I’m as weak as a flea, so I’d probably break my hand before doing any real damage.”

“Right.” She grinned, “It just isn’t worth it.” She looked off at the fire, “I have to admit that, in my time, I’ve punched a person or two in the face. Not my brightest moments.” She shrugged, “But that’s because I didn’t think things through. I just felt something, and I acted.” She looked back at him, “It’s easy to act on feelings. It’s easy to give into anger and scream at someone or hit them. But it’s hard to hold yourself back. But that’s what it means to be mature. It means you can hold yourself in check- you can _think_ before you act. You can analyze your feelings and weight the pros and cons before deciding what the best thing to do is.” He looked at her before giving a small nod, and she grinned. “Sit down and let me tell you a story, Senkuu-,”

“I am sitting.” He grinned as she continued.

“Once upon a time, there was a girl who had a huge crush on a guy. As soon as she saw him, she thought to herself, ‘I’m going to marry that guy’.”

“Gross.” Senkuu chuckled.

“Yup. So, they became friends. And he showed some interest in her, and she showed an interest in him, so of course she assumed they’d soon date and eventually get married.”

“This story is awful.”

“Well, when she spoke to him, he said he was unsure if they should pursue a relationship because he had other things he wanted to focus on.” She said, and Senkuu frowned slightly, “But, she loved him, so she agreed. So, she waited.” Andrea smiled, “But her feelings ate at her, and she realized she didn’t want to wait. Eventually, she just couldn’t take it, so she decided to pester him about it again. And again, he said they should wait. So, she waited for a time before pestering him _again_.” Andrea sighed slightly, “About the fourth time she pestered him, he told her things wouldn’t work out. They had separate goals. They had separate lives. He wanted to be friends, but he just couldn’t be with her.”

Senkuu hummed to indicate he was listening.

“And for a while, she didn’t understand what went wrong. She didn’t realize she was too young and inexperienced to see that life _wasn’t_ a Disney movie. Just because you love someone doesn’t mean you’ll be together. Just because you have strong feelings doesn’t mean you should immediately act on them.” Senkuu looked at her, “And what made her so incredibly young was the fact that she didn’t think about _him_. She was so caught up in her own feelings and fantasies and _wants_ that she didn’t stop to consider _his_. She was so busy thinking about him as an object or goal that she didn’t think about him as a _person._” There was a brief moment of silence between them.

“…why are you telling me this?”

“Because I want you to know. I want you to get a heads up.” She looked at him, “I know you’re not the kind of guy to act on emotions- or, at least, it’s rare for you to do so. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have to keep yourself in check. You’re still young. You’re still going to feel things and want to be selfish about it. But if you just think about your own feelings and act on them without a second thought, you’re _going_ to hurt yourself and others too.”

“I really don’t think you have to be worried about me…” He picked up a stick and poked the dying fire, “But I feel like I’ve been experiencing that with other people I know. Where they just…act on what they feel. They don’t think about it.”

“And that’s just a part of growing up. It’s about learning not to be self entitled with your emotions. It’s about keeping an eye on yourself so you don’t hurt the people you care about. And it’s about change. You change yourself for the better. You work on making yourself a good person. Someone you can be proud of.” She smiled, “And that’s why I said you’ve changed. You’re becoming a better person.” Senkuu glanced at her before looking at the fire and poking it again.

“…What happened to the girl and the boy? Are they still friends?”

“They are.” She said with a grin, “And the boy is happily married to a different person.” Senkuu looked at her, “And she’s happy for him. She actually gets along with his wife.”

“…Does she still love him?” He asked, and she looked up at the stars.

“Maybe. Who knows?” The fell into silence as the fire continued to slowly die down. The darkness crept in as the burning wood turned to embers.

“I’m happy we’re friends, sensei.” Senkuu finally said. She grinned up at the stars.

“Me too.” She then rolled her shoulders, “I don’t have many other people I can giggle about rock formations with.” He snorted as she stretched and stood up. “Welp, I think it’s time for bed. And if I’m going to bed, you have to too.” She looked down at him, “I can’t leave you out here all alone, or else you’ll end up being bear food.” Senkuu smirked as she offered her hand.

“If Chris, the human bean pole, can out smart a bear, then I have full confidence in my skills.” He said as he took her hand. She helped him up and they smiled at each other.

“Yeah. Being a pacifist, Chris isn’t too good when it comes to fighting, so he has to use his head.” Senkuu gave her a mischievous grin.

“I guess that’s why you two make such a good couple. He has the brains and you have the brawn.” Andrea rose her brows at his comment, but then chuckled and shook her head.

“Go to sleep, kid.”

“When _are_ you going to let Chris off the hook? You know he’s crazy about you, right?” Senkuu asked, but she merely began walking away.

“I’ll see you in the morning.” She said as she waved lazily behind her. Senkuu smiled before going to his own tent. Chris was completely passed out inside, so Senkuu tried to be as quiet as possible as he got changed and got into his sleeping bag. Just as he rolled over to go to sleep, his phone buzzed noisily beside him. He grabbed it and opened it up, narrowing his eyes at the blinding screen. There, in the dazzling light, was a message from his father.

_12:56 am_

_Hey, kiddo! How’s camping? Love the picture. Should I even ask who wrote dopamine and who wrote protactinium? Hey, if you get bored of the university kids, just give me a call! I’ll be on standby! _

Senkuu smiled at the message. Even though he was in a completely different place, he still felt close to his father. He shut the phone and let out a soft breath. He’d text him tomorrow.

Age 17 (+3,700)

All these years later, and the stars were still as magnificent as ever. Senkuu looked up at them through the tree branches that hung above him. They had changed- just as Andrea had said. It wasn’t immediately noticeable, but when he looked for different stars and their formations, he found some things had moved.

_It all keeps changing yet staying the same._

They had all settled in for the night- Senkuu and Gen underneath one tree while Chrome and Taiju slept under another. In the past, Senkuu might have told Gen to find his own tree, but he had grown used to the other being around. Gen could be a complete snake in the grass, but he was respectful on the things that mattered.

Which was surprising for a man who was a self proclaimed trickster.

“The stars really are beautiful tonight.” Gen mused quietly. Senkuu grinned, already knowing what was coming, “You know what _else_ is beautiful-,”

“Gen, if you tell me I’m beautiful, I’m going to shove you into the fire.” Gen immediately propped himself up on his elbow and stared at his friend.

“I was actually going to say _I _was beautiful- seeing as I _am_\- but I guess I could appease your massive ego and say you’re decent enough.” Senkuu snorted as Gen laid back down. “Well, now that the other two are sleeping, I suppose we can get down to business.”

“And what business would that be?”

“Dear, sweet, _naïve _Senkuu. As if I couldn’t see through your little ruse.” Gen rolled onto his side and waved his finger, “There’s a reason you wanted to come all the way to this cave.” Senkuu flopped his head over and gave him a neutral expression.

“What do you mean?”

“Please, as if you brought us all the way here just to get _coal_.” Gen rolled his eyes, “I can name dozens of other caves that have coal-,”

“No you can’t.” Senkuu said with a grin.

“Whatever- ok I can’t- but my point is, _you_ can name a dozen other caves that have coal. But instead, you made us walk _3 days_ to this one. So, there has to be a reason.” Senkuu rolled onto his side so he could face the other.

“Really? Maybe this place just has good coal-,”

“Oh please.” Gen rolled his eyes again, “Unlike our companions, I’m not an idiot.”

“Then why’d I drag you here? Enlighten me.” Gen clicked his tongue.

“It’s because you were feeling _nostalgic_.” Senkuu snorted again and Gen waved his finger, “Oh, you may laugh, but it’s true. I see through you, dear Senkuu.”

“I wasn’t feeling nostalgic. I just knew this place-,”

“3 days, Senkuu. We walked for _3 days_ to get here. Do you really think I’m stupid enough to believe there wasn’t a cave _closer_ to here that had coal? Not a single one?” Gen then pouted, “Do you really think so little of me.”

“I do.” Senkuu grinned, and suddenly Gen’s face changed to one of annoyance.

“Well, you shouldn’t. I’m a mentalist. It’s my job to read people, and I can say for a fact that we came here because you wanted to connect with your past.” There was a short moment of silence before Senkuu gave a soft, relaxed sigh.

“Think what you will. I knew there would be coal here, but whether or not I decided to come here specifically because I had memories of this place is up to you.” Gen then grinned.

“So, you admit it-,”

“I didn’t admit anything-,”

“For you, that was as good as a confession.” Gen then rolled onto his back, “Now, what _memories_ you have of this place is what intrigues me. You say you came here with your teacher and a few others.” Gen tapped his lip (everything was a show with him), “It wasn’t a field trip because if it was, you would have said so. Meaning you came here outside of school hours. And it wasn’t with Taiju, or he would have said something…but clearly it was important because you made us walk _3 days_ to get here…” Senkuu rolled his eyes and huffed a small laugh before rolling onto his own back and looking at the stars again.

“It wasn’t anything important. I just went on a camping trip with friends. It was fun.” He shrugged, “That’s all.”

“Hmmm…did something perhaps…_happen_, on this camping trip?” Gen asked as he looked at Senkuu mischievously, “Something…_important_?”

“Get to the point, Gen.”

“Well, seeing as it had to be something important enough to make you want to come back here, but something that didn’t involve Taiju or your father…Not to mention the chemical dopamine was written on the wall-,”

“What does a _wall carving _have to do with my trip?”

“I obviously know your hand writing by now. And I’d bet anything that you were with the person who wrote out dopamine.” Gen grinned, “Now, why would that person write _that _chemical?” Gen wiggled his brows and Senkuu tried not to laugh.

“You’re reading _way_ too much into this.”

“If I had to bet, I’d say something _romantic_ happened.”

“Damn it, Gen.” Senkuu snorted as Gen continued.

“Something romantic, something that leaves an impression.” Gen grinned, “Could it be this is the place you had your _first kiss?_”

“I didn’t have my first kiss here, you idiot.” Gen suddenly gave him a sly look.

“So, you admit you’ve been kissed before.” He chuckled darkly. Senkuu immediately frowned.

_Damn it_.

“This conversation just got 10 billion percent more annoying.” Senkuu muttered as Gen ignored him.

“That means you’ve been kissed _twice_.” Gen grinned like a cat as he flopped onto his stomach, lifted himself on his elbows, and placed his chin in his hands, “Am I wrong?” Senkuu looked at him in bewilderment.

“_Twice_? What the hell are you-,” His brows then knit together, “…Gen, that time I gave you CPR after you almost drowned doesn’t count as a _kiss_.”

“Yes, it does.” Gen gasped.

“No, it doesn’t.”

“Yes, it does!”

“No, it doesn’t!”

“He’s right, Senkuu-,”

“Nobody asked you, Taiju!” Senkuu suddenly whispered angrily as he turned to the third man. “Go back to sleep!”

“Ok.” Taiju waved before closing his eyes again. Senkuu turned back to Gen.

“And it _doesn’t count_.” Gen touched his own heart and gave a pout.

“That hurts.”

“You know, this just reinforces my theory that you were only _pretending_ to drown-,” Gen dropped his façade once more and glared at Senkuu.

“Listen _nerd_,” He said as he pointed at Senkuu, “I was having a great time swimming with the lovely Kohaku-,”

“You were bothering her while she was _spear fishing_-,”

“We were _swimming_ together when I got caught on something and went under. It’s not _my fault_ she didn’t know CPR. I didn’t plan to drown- but if I _did_, I wouldn’t plan for _you_ to revive me.” And just like that, his mask came back on as he sighed dramatically and looked off, “Imagine. There I was, expecting to awake to a beautiful woman saving my life.” He frowned, “And instead I got a sweaty gremlin.”

“Well screw you too.” Senkuu snarked. Gen pointed in Senkuu’s face again as his own became angry and serious once more.

“You might not like it, but it happened. And I’ll be damned if you won’t acknowledge it-,”

“It was CPR!”

“You will _take_ my awkward, disgusting kiss and you will _like it_.”

“It was _CPR!_”

“It’s called the kiss of life for a reason-,” A third voice said.

“TAIJU! Go to SLEEP!” Senkuu barked. The other became quiet and Senkuu looked back at Gen, who gave him a hard look. They glared at one another before Gen began to shake a little. Senkuu broke into a smile before hiding it again. They lasted another moment before they both broke into giggles, and then laughter. And they continued to laugh until a figure sat up in the darkness.

“Would you two SHUT UP! Some of us are TRYING to SLEEP!” Chrome barked, but the two carried on, tears breaking out in Senkuu’s eyes as Gen struggled to breath. Chrome mumbled a few curses before laying down again and rolling away from them. Finally, their laughter died down into snorts and chuckles. Senkuu wiped his eyes.

“S-seriously, though, you don’t actually tell people we kiss-,”

“Of course not!” Gen chuckled, “It was CPR! How desperate do you think I am that I would count CPR as actual _kissing_.” The two continued to giggle. “But your face when you thought I took it seriously-,”

“Y-you’re such a D-bag.” Senkuu snorted.

“Takes one to know one.” They chuckled and snorted and laughed a bit more before finally settling down again. “But, really, you don’t have to talk about it.” Gen said as he flopped onto his back, “I won’t go digging around your past if it upsets you.” Senkuu laid back down as well and smiled.

“I’ve gotta admit, it’s something I like about you, Gen. Even though you can be a complete pain, you do actually know when to drop things.”

“That’s because I’m a mature adult.” Gen said happily.

“It’s one of the reasons I tolerate you more than others.”

“Please,” Gen said airly, “You don’t have to flatter me.” They fell into a comfortable silence as they looked up at the stars. It was interesting when he reflected on his old life and this new one. Before, he had a lot of friends who wouldn’t give him space. Everyone his age seemed obsessed with drama and feelings and secrets. But here, in this new world, people just didn’t have the time. Everything was about survival. And even now, when no one was in fear of starvation, they still had other things to worry about. They all had a big project to work on. They had to adjust to new people. Those from modern times had to learn the ways of the stone world.

And sure, he vaguely knew that _some_ drama happened (it was simply the way of human nature), but he wasn’t involved at all.

(Senkuu had once remarked to Gen that he was surprised at the lack of drama, to which Gen told him it was technically there, but he made sure Senkuu didn’t get wind of it. To which Senkuu said,

_“So, you control the drama?”_

And Gen said.

_“I don’t control the drama. I _am _the drama.”_

Senkuu still didn’t understand what that meant).

He liked his new friends and relationships. He liked having friends of different ages. He liked having friends who didn’t question his motives or assume things about him. He liked having friends who genuinely loved science and building. He liked that the people in his life didn’t say one thing but mean another. He liked that they didn’t stare at him and demand he interpret their coded signals.

People were just…people. They said what they meant. And most of all, they respected him. And he respected them.

(Not that he didn’t miss his old friends- he did, in a way. But this new age, there was just something so refreshing and…mature about it all).

But out of everyone, his friendship with Gen had surprised him the most. In the past, he would never have thought of being friends with someone in the soft scientists. And when he first met Gen, he didn’t like him _at all_. Gen was obnoxious, sly, and ambiguous. He was a liar, a trickster, and an actor. But what annoyed Senkuu the most about him was his flirtatious nature. It took Senkuu a while to understand that Gen flirted with others because it was a way of manipulating people. With Senkuu’s limited social knowledge, he had just assumed that Gen found _every person_ a potential romantic partner (which was _horrifying)_. It was only when Gen began dropping the act around Senkuu that he realized it was, well, just that. An act. There was nothing behind his words. Senkuu even confronted him about it once (after Gen had made a particularly embarrassing observation about him), to which Gen dropped the act and said he could do much better than a dirty, sweaty, sociopathic nerd (to which Senkuu then kicked Gen out of the lab).

Yes, Gen was strange. But as he and Senkuu got to know each other, they found they had a lot in common.

That common area being moral ambiguity.

No one else could quite match Senkuu on his cold calculations and dark nature. Yet, Gen was up for the challenge. And it was nice having someone he could speak to on frank terms about humans and nature (before Gen, he only had Taiju, who was far too optimistic and kind hearted for the real world).

In the end, what he liked most about the other man was his respect. For a dirty, two faced liar, Gen could be surprisingly respectful. Senkuu didn’t know if it was because Gen was a performer, but he was very aware of his words and the non verbal cues he gave off. He was in complete control of himself.

And Senkuu suspected that was why he trusted him so much. Gen didn’t give into the impulse of intense emotions. He didn’t attack people or force his feelings on others. No, he was in total control of his words and actions. Because he knew who he was- he was confident in who he was. And he was in total control of who he was.

Which was why Senkuu no longer cared where Gen slept, or even the distance at which he slept. He didn’t worry about Gen’s words or actions. He trusted him. He had complete faith in Gen’s ability to control whatever he felt or thought.

And as someone who, at one time, had temporarily lost everyone he trusted (Taiju going off to spy on Tsukasa, Byakuya being long gone) Senkuu appreciated that.

“I’m glad we’re friends, mentalist.” Senkuu said softly. “You’re a good guy.” He said, looking at his friend. Gen looked back with a kind expression.

Before it became dramatically sweet.

“I love you too.” He whispered as Senkuu frowned.

“I didn’t-,”

“SHHHHH.” Gen’s arm flew out as he pressed his finger against Senkuu’s lips, “You don’t have to say it. I _know._” Senkuu immediately slapped his hand away as the other laughed.

“Go to hell.” Senkuu growled (though, without any real anger). Gen continued to laugh before he suddenly sat up and looked surprised.

“Oh!”

“What?” Senkuu asked as Gen turned over and searched around in his bag for something.

“I almost forgot!”

“What? What is-,” Gen then turned around and gave Senkuu the middle finger.

“Found it.” The two looked at each other before Senkuu leaned over and violently shoved Gen to the side. The other laughed as Senkuu lightly slapped at him.

“Can you two stop MAKING OUT AND SHUT UP ALREADY!” Chrome suddenly yelled, “I WANT TO SLEEP!” The two sat back up and proceeded to fall into laughter once more as Taiju chuckled in the darkness. Chrome threw up his hands angrily before getting out of his sleeping pack and picking it up, “Screw you guys! I’m going to the cave!”

“No! Chrome! Wait” Senkuu called out between his laughter. “Th-there might be bats or-,”

“I’LL TAKE MY CHANCES WITH THE BATS!” He yelled angrily as he stormed away.

“Chrome! Come back!” Gen gasped as he gave into silent laughter. But Chrome continued to walk away.

After some coaxing and teasing, Chrome finally did come back, and they all did eventually settle down. Senkuu continued to look up at the stars as Gen slept soundly just a few paces from him. The only noise was the soft breath of his friend-

And the snores of Taiju which could wake the dead.

Senkuu blinked up at the vastness of space. He examined each and every star as his friends slept soundly around him. It was funny. Being back at this place, after 3,701 years, kind of felt like he was in the past. If he closed his eyes, he could pretend he was camping with Chris and Andrea. He could imagine being on a field trip with his peers. Was that the soft breaths of Gen, or was it Ayuko falling asleep after researching animals? Was it Taiju snoring, or his father in the next room, sound asleep after coming back from his trip?

If he closed his eyes, he could see it. He could feel it.

What was that close to his head? Was it the bag of salt he used for dinner, or was it his cell phone? Senkuu allowed his eyes to finally close as sleep began to take him. How long had it been since he spoke to his father? It still felt like he was only an atmosphere away. A country away. A room away. Sleep pulled at his mind as his breathing became deep and even. He still had to text his father back. He’d do it in the morning.

And finally, he was under the waves of sleep. And he dreamt of flowers and tricks and fire. He dreamt of dessert and sweets and drinks. He dreamt of animals and trains. He dreamt of rocks and volcanos. He dreamt of damp rooms and video games. He dreamt of mice and bats.

He dreamt of a little playhouse and lego blocks.

He dreamt of space.

He dreamt of change.

But even so, he felt safe in his dreams. Because he knew that he really was safe.

He was safe in this place, with these people.

He was safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PHEW! It’s over! What a ride. I’m kind of going to miss this story, but I’m glad I finished it.  
How was Gen? Was he too OOC? I tried to make his interactions fun, but it was kid of hard…  
Also, I hope the message of the story was clear. I find I sometimes jarble up the main theme of each chapter…  
I hope you liked this story! If you have any comments, or just want to vent about it, just let me know (it makes me feel things too).
> 
> Also…  
Would you be interested in another fanfiction? I’m kind of torn between writing two at the moment. I’ll give a brief summary.  
1) Senkuu develops a way to cross different dimensions and meets up with multiple versions of himself. It’s about their interactions and trying to understand how they are the same person, yet so different from one another. (This story is MASSIVE because, it’s like…6 stories in one. I don’t know how to write it. Like, would it all be in one fanfic, or would each Senkuus’ backstory be it’s own oneshot AU?) Among the different Senkuus is one precious cinnamon roll boy, one who is actually famous (and makes youtube videos with Gen), one who works for the Yakuza making hard drugs, one who spent the last 3 years in nuclear holocaust, a sociopath, and their fearless leader. The story would do a lot of psychoanalysis. (and also deal with some rather heavy subjects).
> 
> 2) Senkuu is a robotics engineer (amongst other things) and has created artificial intelligence. The first he creates is a program on his computer, also known as mecha Senkuu (what is with this kid and naming things after himself?) The other is Rei, an AI with an actual, humanoid body.  
But having a working AI isn’t enough for Senkuu’s investors. They want to see how human he can make a machine (and Senkuu is up for the challenge). But with each update, Rei changes. And she begins to question herself, and question others. There’s a reason growing up takes years, not days.  
The story would deal with what it means to be human, and the process of growing up. And, like this one, the complexities of different relationships, and how the boarders of love can shift and change.
> 
> So…if either of those ideas sound neat, please let me know. Again, I’m on the fence. The robotics one would be a lot shorter and easier to write, but the multiple dimensions one is just…kind of cool (so many options…)  
Let me know what you think if you have the time :)  
Thanks so much for everything guys! Love you all!


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